Barcelona face Julian Alvarez transfer delay after World Cup injury

Updated: 9 Jun 2026 08:28 BST | 5 min read

Matthew Judge | Editor

Barcelona are facing a potential delay to their hopes of signing Atletico Madrid striker Julian Alvarez after Ronald Araujo sustained an injury ahead of the World Cup, with the club reportedly keen to offload the Uruguay defender in order to fund their transfer plans.

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Widespread reports have indicated La Liga champions Barcelona have made Alvarez their primary target this summer as they look to find a replacement for Robert Lewandowski, who will leave the club when his contract expires at the end of the month.

The Athletic reported in May that Barcelona were planning to make a €100million (£86.3m) to sign Alvarez, who scored 20 goals in all competitions for Atletico last season, though Spanish publication SPORT understands Diego Simeone’s side value the 26-year-old at €150m (£129.6m).

STATS

Julián Álvarez

F (C)

Atlético Madrid

Julián Álvarez

F (C)

Atlético Madrid

49

Games
20

Goals
9

Assists

And now according to Spanish outlet El Nacional, Barcelona have reportedly been given a major headache as captain Araujo has returned to the club for immediate treatment after picking up a muscle injury just six days before Uruguay’s World Cup opener against Saudi Arabia.

The same publication claims Araujo, who reportedly has a €60m (£51.8m) release clause in his contract, has been deemed a priority sale by the Barcelona hierarchy ahead of the summer transfer window opening for La Liga clubs on Wednesday, 1 July.

Araujo joined the Blaugrana from Uruguayan side Boston River in 2018 and has made 213 appearances for Hansi Flick’s side, scoring 14 goals and winning eight honours including three La Liga titles and two Spanish Cups.

The 27-year-old has been included in manager Marcelo Bielsa’s 26-man Uruguay squad for the World Cup, with the two-time winners set to take on Spain in a blockbuster fixture on Saturday, 27 June. They will also face tournament minnows Cape Verde six days earlier in Group H.

Atletico snap at ongoing speculation surrounding Alvarez

Meanwhile, in the wake of intense speculation surrounding Alvarez’s future, with the Argentina striker having also been linked with Arsenal and Paris Saint-Germain, Atletico reacted angrily to the transfer talk last month in a series of social media posts.

Directing most of their anger towards La Liga rivals Barcelona, Atletico made a spoof bid for Lamine Yamal by offering a bag of sunflower seeds for the 18-year-old wonderkid, as well an ABC television subscription and tickets to see Puerto Rican rapper Bad Bunny.

HERE WE GO! Hemos enviado un fax al @FCBarcelona_es con nuestra oferta de traspaso: 4 entradas para el concierto de Bad Bunny de mañana, una suscripción anual al ABC y una bolsa de pipas. Esperamos ansiosos la respuesta para preparar el ‘announce’. pic.twitter.com/e0J7mPljHa
— Atlético de Madrid (@Atleti) May 29, 2026

Alvarez has developed a reputation as one of the best strikers in the world since joining Atletico from Manchester City in 2024, scoring 49 goals in 106 appearances for Los Rojiblancos.

A separate report from BBC Sport understands Alvarez remains Arsenal’s dream striker signing ahead of the 2026-27 season, though Mikel Arteta’s side reportedly hold interest in Bournemouth’s Eli Junior Kroupi as well.

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