Barcelona to focus on Julian Alvarez after Harry Kane snub as Argentine star demands summer exit

Barcelona to focus on Julian Alvarez after Harry Kane snub as Argentine star demands summer exit Barcelona have been exploring several options in their search for a new striker to replace Robert Lewandowski this summer. TyC Sports claims that they initially inquired about a potential move for Harry Kane but are now focused on striking a deal for Argentine striker Julian Alvarez. Barcelona had initially made Kane their primary target . They saw him as a successor to Lewandowski and fancied their chances of luring him away from Bayern Munich. The La Liga champions even made informal inquiries about the England captain, but it didn’t take long for the player’s camp to shut the door in their face. Kane finished the season as one of the most lethal goalscorers in Europe, bagging a staggering 61 goals in 51 appearances as Bayern steamrolled to another Bundesliga title. Despite scoring 14 times in 13 Champions League games, he couldn’t steer Die Roten to European glory as they crashed out in the semi-finals against eventual champions Paris Saint-Germain. The 32-year-old has carried that form into the international stage, scoring a brace to help England secure a 4-2 victory over Croatia in their World Cup curtain raiser. Barcelona were hoping Kane would be open to a new challenge after sweeping up domestic titles at Bayern, but the England international is understood to be settled in Munich. That has forced the Blaugranas to turn their attention back to Alvarez, despite the growing rift with Atletico Madrid. Reports claim that Barcelona have already seen a bid rejected for Alvarez, although Atletico have denied rumours that the striker could be on his way to Spotify Camp Nou. Meanwhile, Alvarez has given Barcelona more ammunition to work with after publicly declaring his desire to leave Atletico this summer. Despite the player’s demands, Atletico are heavily reluctant to sell Alvarez this summer, at least not to one of their biggest La Liga rivals. While keeping an unhappy player could be detrimental to the dressing room dynamics, Alvarez has four years left on his contract, putting the club in a strong position to determine his fate. So far, Atletico have made it clear that any club interested in Alvarez will need to trigger the €500 million release clause in his contract.