Barcelona Pursues Rodri and Julian Alvarez Before Deadline

Barcelona are staring at the final stretch of the summer window with their gaze fixed firmly on two names: Rodri and Julian Alvarez. No plan B, no safety net. Just a clear, stubborn belief inside the club that both deals can still be done before the market shuts.

According to Mundo Deportivo, there is no internal debate at Camp Nou about changing course. With a little over two weeks left, Barcelona are not actively sounding out alternatives for either midfield or attack. The message from the sporting department is simple: it’s Rodri or nothing in the middle, Alvarez or bust up front.

Rodri deal enters decisive phase

Of the two operations, Rodri’s move is the one Barcelona see as closest to the finish line.

The Spanish midfielder is back at Manchester City after his summer break, but Barcelona are convinced his mind is already leaning towards Hansi Flick’s project. That belief underpins the club’s confidence that the transfer can be pushed over the line quickly.

The problem is money. It always is.

City are holding out for a package in the region of €80 million. Barcelona know their second offer falls short and will have to be improved. They are not expected to meet City’s valuation outright, so the strategy is clear: build a proposal heavy on bonuses and add-ons, nudging the total closer to €70 million rather than matching the full demand up front.

City have already turned down previous approaches and are waiting for that improved bid. The player’s future, though, remains open enough for Barcelona to feel there is a deal to be made if they structure the numbers correctly and lean on Rodri’s desire to move.

Inside the club, the expectation — as reported by Mundo Deportivo — is that the Rodri saga will not drag on much longer. Barcelona want it wrapped up by next week. That is the internal clock ticking.

Alvarez battle runs into Atletico wall

Julian Alvarez is a different story. Same determination from Barcelona, far tougher opposition.

Atletico Madrid have dug in over the Argentine striker, making negotiations far more complex than those with Manchester City. Their stance has been firm, and it has turned this chase into a test of endurance rather than pure financial muscle.

Barcelona, though, are clinging to one crucial factor: Alvarez’s will.

The 26-year-old has not let go of his ambition to wear the Blaugrana shirt. He is expected to keep pushing for an exit in the coming days, still focused on forcing a path from Atletico to Camp Nou. His attempt to bring Diego Simeone into the process, hoping the coach might help ease his departure, has not produced the outcome he wanted. The door has not opened.

Even so, his stance has not shifted. He wants Barcelona. The club know it, Atletico know it, and that dynamic now sits at the heart of the operation.

For Barcelona, the player’s power is the key card. Atletico’s position remains rigid, but the Catalans are effectively betting on time and pressure: that Alvarez’s continued determination might eventually bend the negotiations in their favour.

Two weeks left. Two big targets. One club convinced that player desire can still tilt a brutal transfer market their way.