Published on 5/29/2026
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Last update: 18:59 (Mecca time)
Barcelona has its sights set on Julian Alvarez for next season, as club officials believe that the Atletico Madrid striker is the most suitable candidate to fill the attacking void left by Robert Lewandowski.
However, the fate of this deal remains unclear, as Atletico Madrid confirmed to Mundo Deportivo in recent hours that “Julian Alvarez is not for sale.”
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Barca is competing to include him with clubs with greater financial resources, such as Paris Saint-Germain and Arsenal.
But the biggest obstacle may not be financial or contractual, but rather related to a “dark history” that follows the departed stars from under the mantle of coach Diego Simeone towards Barcelona. The numbers indicate that the trio who took this path in recent years shared one denominator: the miserable failure at Camp Nou.
Arda Turan: The losing bet
Turkish star Arda Turan was the first to replace the “red and white” Rojiblancos shirt with the “blue and red” Blaugrana colors in the summer of 2015, at the request of coach Luis Enrique.
At that time, Barcelona paid 34 million euros (about 36.7 million dollars) fixed, in addition to 7 million euros (about 7.5 million dollars) in variables to include a player with a contract extending until 2020.
However, the deal turned into a major disappointment. Turan played only two seasons out of five, during which he participated in 55 matches, scoring 15 goals and providing 11 assists, before spending the rest of his contract on loan in the Turkish league between Basaksehir and Galatasaray.
Antoine Griezmann: A resounding deal that ended in regret
After years of waiting, Frenchman Antoine Griezmann followed Turan to Barcelona in a loud deal, but he followed in the same footsteps; He did not last in the Blaugrana shirt for more than two seasons.
Although the language of numbers was not disastrous (he played 102 matches, scored 55 goals and made 17 assists), the French striker completely failed to adapt to the identity of the Catalan team.
Griezmann found no recourse to save his career other than returning regretfully to Atletico Madrid, where he revived his stardom and made history again under the leadership of his Argentine coach.
Joao Felix: A failed attempt to revive the march
The Portuguese João Felix was the last chapter of this series, but under different circumstances. The player did not come to Barcelona while he was at the peak of his brilliance with Simeone, but rather came on loan to escape the style of the Argentine coach, thinking that the Catalan attacking philosophy would restore his sparkle. But the result was disappointing. The Portuguese star paid the price for his sharp fluctuation.
During just one season he spent on loan, he participated in 44 matches, during which he scored 10 goals and made 6 assists. The trip ended quickly and without Barcelona wanting to renew him, so he returned to Atletico Madrid.
