Atletico Madrid sign Julian Alvarez from Manchester City in £81.5m deal
Argentina striker Julian Alvarez has completed an £81.5m transfer from Manchester City to Atletico Madrid following a relentless pursuit by manager Diego Simeone.
The 24-year-old forward was bombarded with daily phone calls from senior players and the manager’s son during the summer of 2024.
Simeone himself orchestrated the intense recruitment drive, firing persistent messages to the player throughout the Copa America and Paris Olympics.
The World Cup winner eventually had to beg Giuliano Simeone to intervene, confirming his imminent arrival in the Spanish capital so the calls would cease.
This relentless approach convinced the South American to reject a lucrative offer from Paris St-Germain, who were reportedly willing to pay £8.7m a season.
The origins of ‘The Little Spider’
Growing up in the small town of Calchin in Cordoba, the talented youngster quickly earned the nickname ‘La Aranita’ from his brother Rafael.
Opponents struggled to dispossess the dynamic attacker on his local neighbourhood pitch, joking that he appeared to play with multiple legs.
A brief trial with Real Madrid at the age of 11 proved formative, but it was a move to River Plate four years later that truly forged his competitive instincts.
The Argentine giants demanded constant victory, a pressure that culminated in an extraordinary six-goal performance against Alianza Lima in the Copa Libertadores.
“Once you’re at River, you can never lose a game without it hurting you.”
Searching for main-man status
A January 2022 switch to Manchester City brought immediate success, with the forward lifting the Champions League during his debut season under Pep Guardiola.
Despite thriving within that formidable English machine, the former Premier League champion desired a footballing project where he was the undisputed focal point.
Atletico provided that exact promise, alongside a welcoming cultural environment spearheaded by compatriots Rodrigo de Paul and Antoine Griezmann.
“He told me I could give the club something huge. That I’d have the space and the opportunity to be my best version.”
The Spanish side finalised the club-record 95m euro deal in August, handing their new marquee arrival a six-year contract.
