Benito: Alvarez is not worth €150 million; only Mbappé and Yamal are

Álvaro Benito believes that Álvarez is not worth 150 million euros.

Álvarez has publicly expressed his desire to leave Atlético Madrid in the summer transfer window. Previously, Argentina defeated Austria 2-0, with Messi scoring twice and becoming the World Cup's all-time leading scorer. After the match, when asked by reporters about his future and his thoughts on the upcoming season, the Argentine forward—after months of avoiding the subject—admitted that he wanted to leave to fulfill his dream: "The best option for everyone is a transfer; I want to fulfill my dream."

Álvarez has not named any specific team, but all indications suggest he wants to join Barcelona. On Tuesday, Pedro Rostoll revealed on Cadena SER's "El Larguero" program details of a conversation Álvarez had with a senior Atlético Madrid official in May: "A few days before reporting to the Argentine national team, Julián went to a very important person at Atlético Madrid and told him that, if possible, he hoped to leave this summer and wanted to go to Barcelona."

Álvarez has therefore taken the first step toward joining Barcelona and hopes to fulfill his childhood dream of wearing the Barcelona jersey. His current valuation remains uncertain. His contract with Atlético Madrid runs until 2030 and includes a release clause of 500 million euros. However, now that he has publicly expressed his desire to leave, Atlético Madrid will need to negotiate.

Although Real Madrid was once willing to pay up to 150 million euros for Álvarez, Benito does not believe he is worth that price. On Tuesday, Benito said on the "Carrusel Deportivo" program that very few players in football today command such a fee: "Neither based on perception nor data do I think he is worth 150 million euros. For example, at Man City, he is not a regular starter. He has never been an undisputed starter. Therefore, a transfer fee close to 150 million euros should correspond to a player who is dominating world football and has a very clear record of performance."

Benito acknowledges that Álvarez is an excellent player, but not strong enough to justify such a massive transfer fee: "I think he is a very well-rounded player, but honestly, I am very surprised by the prices being discussed now. When Florentino announced that he would bid 150 million euros for a player, I hoped that player was not Julián because, in my opinion, he is not worth that money."

According to Benito, only a few players, such as Yamal, Mbappé, Olise, and Haaland, are worth 150 million euros: "After them, other players are already several levels below."

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