At just 24 years old, Julián Álvarez, recently signed by Atlético Madrid for six seasons, already boasts a trophy cabinet that many players would envy at the end of their careers.

In just six seasons as a professional, "The Spider" has already lifted the World Cup, Copa América, Copa Libertadores, Champions League, and the Club World Cup. Despite having achieved so much at a young age, Álvarez is far from satisfied.

His decision to join Atlético Madrid stems from a desire to become an indispensable player at his club, as he realized last season that, with Pep Guardiola at the helm and Erling Haaland leading the attack, he would struggle to get the prominence he believes he deserves. In his two seasons with Manchester City, Julián played 103 matches, scored 36 goals, provided 18 assists, and won six titles. Impressive numbers, yet he never truly felt like a key player.

The Champions League Showdown Against Real Madrid and Copa América

Perhaps it was during the Champions League tie against Real Madrid that he started to consider seeking new challenges. In May, Haaland struggled at the Santiago Bernabéu, unable to escape the clutches of German defender Antonio Rudiger, and was on course for a similar performance at the Etihad. As the minutes ticked by, Guardiola found an unexpected solution by bringing on Jeremy Doku but resisted substituting the Norwegian star.

Julián wasn’t brought on until extra time, but even then, he couldn’t change the outcome, though he did successfully take the first penalty in the shootout. A few months later, the Copa América solidified his decision. In the U.S., Lionel Scaloni’s faith in him confirmed that the issue wasn’t his ability, but rather the overwhelming presence of Haaland.

Despite Lautaro Martínez entering the tournament as Inter Milan’s star, top scorer, and Serie A’s best player, Scaloni chose Julián Álvarez for the opening match and kept him as the starting forward throughout the tournament, even after Lautaro delivered crucial goals off the bench.

During this time, the possibility of joining Atlético surfaced. He spoke with Rodrigo de Paul about the club and the city and received enough encouragement from Diego Simeone’s camp to be convinced that the move to Atlético was not a step backward.

Simeone, who had experienced the disappointment of missing out on Lautaro Martínez five years earlier during the Copa América in Brazil, made the most of this opportunity, with additional encouragement coming from his son Giuliano during the Olympics. Even Antoine Griezmann dropped hints to the Argentine forward to help seal the deal. The final approval from Manchester City was the last hurdle, and Guardiola didn’t oppose a transfer that set a new record for the club (around €75 million plus €20 million in variables).

A Significant Upgrade

With the signing of Julián Álvarez, Atlético Madrid has made a significant upgrade. They’ve acquired a player capable of playing across the front line, who first caught the eye of Marcelo Gallardo, who gave him a chance at 18 in the historic Copa Libertadores final against Boca Juniors at the Santiago Bernabéu. He then became Scaloni’s unexpected offensive weapon on the road to World Cup glory.

A natural goal-scorer from childhood—averaging 40 goals per season with Atlético Calchín, the local club in his small hometown in Córdoba (population 3,200)—it was his older brother Rafael who nicknamed him “Little Spider,” saying he seemed to have more than two feet for getting to every ball.

At 11, Julián even had a trial with Real Madrid, but to join the club’s youth ranks, his family would have had to move to the Spanish capital. He briefly tried his luck at Boca Juniors and Argentinos Juniors before eventually settling in at River Plate, the club he supported.

He grew under Gallardo, made his mark with Scaloni, and endured the bench’s harsh realities with Guardiola. Now, in Madrid, surrounded by familiar faces like De Paul, Nahuel Molina, and Giuliano Simeone, Álvarez embarks on a new chapter with the challenge of bringing Atlético back to the top, inspiring a fanbase that has found renewed hope with his arrival.