Barcelona Targets Nicolo Tresoldi as New No. 9 Option

Barcelona’s search for a No. 9 has taken a sharp turn, and the trail now runs through Belgium.

According to COPE journalist Victor Navarro, Club Brugge striker Nicolo Tresoldi has emerged as a serious option for the position, with the German U21 international said to be “very, very much liked” by the Barcelona hierarchy.

From Alvarez collapse to a new target

The shift comes on the back of a definitive setback. Barcelona’s pursuit of Atletico Madrid forward Julian Alvarez has collapsed, with Atletico CEO Miguel Angel Gil Marin closing the door on any deal.

With that route blocked, Hansi Flick and sporting director Deco have moved quickly. The club cannot afford to drift without a clear plan for the No. 9 role, and alternative names have been pushed to the front of the table.

Lautaro Martinez of Inter Milan has emerged as the leading choice. Within the club, there is broad agreement that the Argentine is the ideal fit, and Barcelona are ready to go all out to try to bring him to La Liga.

But the market rarely follows one clean line. Behind Lautaro, other profiles are being weighed up — and this is where Tresoldi comes in.

A rapid rise in Belgium

Tresoldi first broke through at Hannover 96, but it is his time in Belgium that has turned him into one of the most talked-about young strikers in Europe.

Since joining Club Brugge in the summer of 2025, his rise has been steep. In his debut 2025/26 season, he played a decisive role in delivering the Belgian Pro League title to Jan Breydel Stadium, scoring 23 goals and adding 9 assists in all competitions.

He has not slowed. In the current 2026/27 campaign, the 21-year-old has already started fast, with three goals in his first three matches. The numbers back up the impression: this is a penalty-box striker with a growing reputation as one of Europe’s most lethal young finishers.

No surprise, then, that his name has landed on Barcelona’s shortlist, and that he is viewed very favourably inside the club.

The price of potential

Admiration is one thing. Getting him out of Brugge is another.

Tresoldi only arrived last summer and is tied to a long-term contract that runs until 2039. Club Brugge hold a strong hand, and they know it.

The Belgian champions are demanding a fee in excess of €40 million and have already turned down a substantial offer from AS Roma earlier in the window. Any club wanting Tresoldi will have to pay for both his present impact and his future upside.

Barcelona now face a familiar dilemma: push all their chips in for Lautaro, or keep the door open to a younger, rising option like Tresoldi at a significant, but still different, cost.

For a club trying to balance immediate ambition with long-term planning, the next move at No. 9 will say a lot about what kind of Barcelona Flick and Deco are really building.