Barcelona's Late No.9 Search: Álvarez and Alternatives

Barcelona have eased off their pursuit of Julián Álvarez and turned to other centre-forward options in the final stretch of the transfer window, sources have told ESPN.

The club have not abandoned the idea of signing the Argentina international altogether. A return to the negotiating table, even as early as January, remains possible. But Atlético Madrid’s firm refusal to sell has forced sporting director Deco to redraw his shortlist on the fly.

Hansi Flick's Priority

Hansi Flick, though, has been clear from day one: he wants a No.9. Robert Lewandowski and Ferran Torres have gone, and the new coach sees a specialist striker as a priority piece of his first Barcelona squad.

Inside the club, not everyone agrees.

Several influential figures believe the dressing room already holds enough attacking variety to cope without a new signing. They argue the solution can be built from within if the market refuses to bend.

Álvarez as the Preferred Target

Álvarez was the plan. He has been Barça’s preferred target throughout the summer, as first reported by ESPN, and the Spanish champions even saw an offer of around €100 million knocked back earlier in the window. Atlético have held their line: the former Manchester City forward is not for sale, regardless of the pressure.

That stance has not shifted even after Álvarez told ESPN publicly that he wants to leave. Barcelona had hoped those comments might crack Atlético’s resolve. Instead, sources now accept that, barring a “radical” late twist, the deal is effectively off the table for this month.

So Flick waits, and Deco works the phones.

The coach would still welcome a No.9 even if it is not Álvarez, but the internal debate has opened up a different route. Raphinha, Karim Adeyemi, Anthony Gordon and even Lamine Yamal are all viewed by some at the club as viable options through the middle.

There are more experimental choices as well. Fermín López and Dani Olmo have both operated as false nines before, offering a more fluid, rotating front line. The only natural centre-forward to feature with the squad in preseason, though, was 18-year-old Egypt international Hamza Abdelkarim, a reminder of how thin the specialist depth really is.

Previous Market Tests

Barcelona had already tested the market earlier in the summer. João Pedro and Junior Kroupi were explored as possibilities, only for circumstances to close those doors. João Pedro has signed a new contract with Chelsea, while Bournemouth striker Kroupi faces up to four months out with a foot injury.

As the window has ticked on, other names have surfaced. Inter Milan’s Lautaro Martínez and Sporting CP’s Luis Suárez have both been linked, but the fees involved are currently out of Barça’s reach.

One source says the club have tracked Benjamin Sesko for years. For now, though, any move for the Manchester United attacker is considered impossible.

Closer to Home

Attention has also drifted closer to home. Villarreal pair Ayoze Pérez and Georges Mikautadze have been discussed internally, with club staff particularly impressed by Mikautadze’s data and his performances since arriving in Spain.

The clock is running, the wishlist is long, and the money is tight. Barcelona know what Flick wants. The question now is whether Deco can deliver a No.9 in time, or whether the solution to a title defence will have to be improvised from the talent already in the room.