Alvarez’ agent pushes Barcelona towards Osimhen signing

Julián Álvarez’s agent has poured cold water on speculation linking the striker with a move to FC Barcelona, a development that could strengthen the Catalans’ pursuit of Victor Osimhen.

With doubts growing over Barcelona’s ability to land their preferred target, the Nigerian forward is emerging as an increasingly realistic alternative.

Álvarez’s representative, Fernando Hidalgo, dismissed reports that the forward was edging closer to a Barcelona switch, including claims that his family had recently been house-hunting in the city.

“1000% a lie,” Hidalgo told Mundo Deportivo. He went further by clarifying that no family members had travelled to Barcelona for any such purpose.

“No one from the family has been in Barcelona. The last time was for the match against Atletico Madrid, and they returned to Madrid the following day. Complete nonsense.”

The blunt denial casts fresh uncertainty over Barcelona’s hopes of signing Álvarez, whose price tag had already made a deal difficult for the financially constrained Spanish giants.

With Barcelona exploring more attainable attacking options, Osimhen has become one of the standout names on the club’s shortlist.

Sporting director Deco is believed to be a strong admirer of the Nigerian striker, and reports suggest Barcelona are prepared to bid as much as €100 million to sign him from Galatasaray.

Although the club reportedly still views Osimhen as a fallback option, many supporters strongly disagree. Fans have increasingly voiced their preference for the Super Eagles star to become Barcelona’s primary striker target, citing his proven goalscoring record, aggressive pressing, and elite penalty-box instincts.

The only major obstacle remains finances, with Osimhen potentially needing to reduce his salary demands to make the move feasible.

Still, with Alvarez’s camp firmly distancing itself from the rumours, Barcelona may now be left with little choice but to intensify their pursuit of Osimhen.