Barca could've signed Alvarez, but went for Ferran Torres

Soon after Xavi arrived at Barcelona, the club was offered the chance to sign Julian Alvarez. The striker, who was then at River Plate, was already on the radar of several top European teams, such as City, who ended up getting him.

Barcelona ended up rejecting Julian Alvarez due to the circumstances, according to 'Mundo Deportivo'. At that time, the side were 10th in La Liga, and the new manager needed a talisman for his team. The club thought that the Argentine was more of a long-term solution, which meant they invested in other types of signings.

Manchester City ended up signing Julian Alvarez. According to what some of the side's sources said to the Catalan paper, Barcelona could not get him into their ranks, but ended up going for the then-City player Ferran Torres.

Barcelona needed to qualify for the Champions League, and went for Aubameyang, Adama Traore, Dani Alves and Ferran Torres. When it came to deciding for the latter, what won them over was his experience.

The side thought that winger Ferran Torres would adapt better, as he was already playing in Europe. Barca thought that the then-River Plate player was going to need some time to get used to it all, and due to the urgency of it all, Barcelona were not up for gambling with him.

What is certain is that Julian Alvarez has quickly adapted to the Premier League, and is having a great World Cup with Argentina. He is already in the final in Qatar, and in Pep Guardiola's side, he has played 20 games, scoring seven goals and getting two assists.