Xavi’s Bold Call Costs Barcelona a Blockbuster Move

Why Álvarez Didn’t Join Barça in 2022

A Spanish newspaper report, published on Tuesday, revealed why Argentinian Julián Álvarez, former Manchester City striker and current Atlético Madrid forward, did not join Barcelona before leaving River Plate.

Álvarez had been among Barcelona's options to sign from River Plate in January 2022, but Xavi at the time, the Barca coach, preferred to sign Spaniard Ferran Torres from Manchester City, for 55 million euros.

According to the Spanish newspaper Mundo Deportivo, Xavi at the time believed Torres was better than Álvarez and would have provided the attacking addition for Barça.

Torres's Impact and Barça’s Financial Footing

The newspaper added that Manchester City had been monitoring Álvarez for a while with a view to signing him, and indeed finalized the deal in the same period, worth 21 million euros, leaving him on loan to his club until the end of the season.

The newspaper noted that Barcelona is still paying off the Torres deal to this day, after signing the player on installments.

Torres was close to leaving Barcelona before last season began, but with the arrival of Hans Flick, the player's level improved markedly, and he became the third top scorer for the team after Robert Lewandowski and Rafinha.

During the current season, Torres has played 17 matches for Barcelona, scoring 9 goals and providing one assist.

Punchline time: if this transfer saga were a date, Barça would be the only one showing up with a calendar full of red flags and still calling it a “promise ring.” And yes, the bench is officially the new star attraction—Barcelona’s highlights reel is basically a long video of substitutes stealing the show.