Atlético Madrid look prepared to lower Julián Álvarez’s enormous release clause, but only if the Argentine keeps scoring.
Barcelona pushed hard for him in the summer, seeing the 26-year-old as a key piece for their attack next season. Atlético’s response was blunt: no negotiations, no discounted fee. Pay the full €500 million release clause or walk away. That stance killed any realistic chance of a deal and left plenty of people questioning whether the figure was designed more as a deterrent than a genuine valuation.
Things appear to have shifted. Spanish outlet El Chiringuito reports that CEO Miguel Ángel Gil Marín has privately told Álvarez the club will reduce the clause if he scores at least 20 goals across all competitions this season.
It’s a target that sits right in line with what he’s already shown. Last campaign he finished with 20 goals and nine assists in 49 appearances. The season before that – his first after leaving Manchester City – he scored 29 times. He’s already been involved this term, including Atlético’s 2-1 Champions League defeat to Liverpool earlier this month.
Whether this is a genuine offer or simply a way of keeping the player locked in remains unclear. But if Álvarez continues producing at his usual rate, that eye-watering €500 million figure might not stay quite so permanent.
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