As we move closer towards the start of the new season, Barcelona are still yet to find a long-term replacement for Robert Lewandowski.
Julian Alvarez is the obvious pick, but Atletico Madrid have made things quite difficult for the Blaugrana and are not willing to sell their star player to a direct rival.
To make things worse, Ferran Torres is reportedly keen on a move to PSG, with Barcelona not expected to go out of their way to keep hold of the Spaniard.
That leaves Barcelona with an uphill task: find a strike combination that can replace the productivity offered by both Ferran and Lewandowski last season.
Barcelona’s major objective in the market
Barcelona are looking to fill Lewandowski’s void. (Photo by Leonardo Fernandez/Getty Images)
As reported by Diario SPORT, Barcelona are essentially searching for a bundle of goals to make up for those that have departed, with a new centre-forward the key piece of the puzzle.
Lewandowski, even in a below-par final season, still scored 19 goals, while Marcus Rashford chipped in with 14 during his loan from Manchester United.
That amounts to 33 goals that have now vanished from the squad, and Barcelona must find a way to replace them.
Some of that void has already been addressed on the wings. Anthony Gordon arrived after scoring 17 for Newcastle, 10 of which came in the Champions League, while Karim Adeyemi added 10 for Borussia Dortmund.
Together, the pair contributed 27 goals last season, though their combined 11 assists fall short of the 14 Rashford provided.
The real focus, however, remains the number nine, and getting that signing absolutely right.
Why Alvarez remains the dream
Alvarez continues to be the standout target, and Barcelona’s technical staff are convinced he would thrive in Flick’s system.
The Argentine scored 20 goals for Atletico last season, narrowly bettering Lewandowski’s tally, and also registered nine assists to the Pole’s four.
Alvarez remains the dream target for Barcelona. (Photo by Fran Santiago/Getty Images)
While that figure is some way short of Lewandowski’s 30-goal average across his four years at the club, Barcelona believe the ‘Spider’ would see his numbers rise significantly in a far more attacking setup than Diego Simeone’s.
At 11 years younger, Alvarez would also offer far more in terms of pressing and link-up play, making him the ideal profile for Flick’s demands.
Barcelona’s formal offer of close to €100 million remains on the table, though the club acknowledge it cannot stay there forever.
The alternatives
Should the Alvarez pursuit ultimately fail, Barcelona have alternatives lined up, though each comes with its own caveats.
Eli Junior Kroupi had been considered ‘Plan B’, but that option has fallen apart following an injury to the Bournemouth forward, who scored 13 goals last season.
A name gaining significant traction is Fisnik Asllani, the Hoffenheim striker who managed 11 goals and 13 assists in the Bundesliga and is said to be prioritising a move to Barcelona.
Finally, there is the experienced option of Dusan Vlahovic. The 26-year-old endured an injury-hit campaign at Juventus but still scored 10 goals, and is currently available as a free agent.
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