Barcelona’s striker shortage gives Hansi Flick a chance to reshape his attack

Barcelona are facing an unusual attacking problem before the new season, with Hansi Flick potentially forced to begin without a recognised centre-forward after Robert Lewandowski’s departure, Marcus Rashford’s loan failed to be renewed and Ferran Torres moves closer to Paris Saint-Germain.

Lewandowski left Barcelona when his contract expired, taking with him one of the club’s most reliable sources of goals. Barcelona were unable to extend Rashford’s loan or reach an agreement with Manchester United to make his move permanent, while Ferran Torres, who has served as Lewandowski’s understudy in recent seasons, is pushing for a new challenge in Paris.

Negotiations between Barcelona and Paris Saint-Germain are understood to be at an advanced stage, leaving the Catalan club in danger of entering the campaign without the type of striker it has relied on for years.

The situation represents a major tactical challenge for Flick. Much of his success with Bayern Munich and Barcelona has been built around a prolific forward capable of turning possession and territorial dominance into goals.

Lewandowski was one of the central components of Flick’s successful Bayern Munich team, and the same pattern was repeated at Barcelona. The Poland international gave Flick a striker who could convert half-chances, finish attacks and provide a consistent presence in the penalty area.

Barcelona’s current problem is therefore more serious than a lack of numbers in one position. The club risks losing the attacking focal point that has given Flick’s system its final shape.

Starting the season without a clinical goalscorer would be a genuine gamble, even if Flick has shown he can devise alternative tactical solutions.

Alvarez deal remains difficult

Barcelona have placed much of their hopes on Julian Alvarez, viewing the forward as the ideal replacement for the expected gap at centre-forward. However, the proposed transfer has been complicated from the outset because Atletico Madrid have no desire to negotiate with Barcelona over the player’s sale.

Alvarez is keen on a move to Spotify Camp Nou, but the player’s preference alone is unlikely to be enough to make the deal happen. Atletico Madrid do not intend to give up one of their most important attacking players without a significant financial return.

The situation became even more difficult when Real Madrid entered the race earlier in the summer with a €150m offer for Alvarez. That bid increased expectations surrounding the player’s value and encouraged Atletico Madrid to demand a substantial fee for his departure.

For Barcelona, matching a €150m valuation appears almost impossible. The club’s financial difficulties make it very hard to imagine its board approving such a large outlay on a single signing, particularly when recruitment spending must be managed carefully.

The equation is straightforward but problematic: Alvarez wants to leave, Atletico Madrid do not want to negotiate and the potential price is beyond what Barcelona appear able to afford. As a result, the centre-forward position remains unresolved.

Barcelona sporting director Deco also appears to have no obvious alternative if the Alvarez deal collapses. The club have been linked by reports with Lautaro Martinez of Inter Milan, but those claims look closer to speculation than evidence of a concrete transfer plan. Martinez is regarded as a player Inter Milan are unwilling to sell.

With the available options shrinking, Flick may have to turn to unfamiliar solutions rather than wait for a new striker to arrive before the season begins.

Raphinha and Adeyemi among the tactical alternatives

Flick has already shown at Barcelona that he is willing to alter players’ roles. During his previous campaign, he gave Raphinha greater freedom from the left, a change which helped create space for Lamine Yamal to flourish on the right.

The next question is whether Flick could go further by deploying Raphinha as a false nine. The Brazil international offers constant movement, an ability to press defenders and a notable threat in front of goal, all of which could allow him to operate as a mobile central forward rather than a traditional penalty-box striker.

That possibility has become more realistic because Barcelona have signed Anthony Gordon to play on the left wing. If Gordon can establish himself in that position, Barcelona would not necessarily lose Raphinha’s contribution from the flank by moving him into the centre. Gordon could provide the pace and direct running required on the left.

Karim Adeyemi is another player who could be considered for the role. The Borussia Dortmund forward can operate as a false nine and is also capable of playing on either wing.

Competition for places on the flanks could make it difficult for Adeyemi to start regularly if he is viewed primarily as a winger. Using him through the middle could therefore offer him a clearer route into the starting team while giving Flick another flexible attacking option.

What begins as a temporary experiment could become a genuine plan if Barcelona fail to sign a recognised centre-forward. Flick has previously demonstrated that he is prepared to redeploy players according to the needs of his system rather than restrict them to their original positions.

Gordon himself cannot be ruled out as a false-nine option. He has played in that role for Newcastle United in the Premier League, adding another possible solution to Flick’s list.

Hamza Abdelkarim offers a different option

One player who could benefit from Barcelona’s uncertainty is Egyptian forward Hamza Abdelkarim. He joined the first-team group during pre-season and Flick has continued to include him with the senior squad, just days before Barcelona play in the Joan Gamper Trophy.

Flick’s decision followed Abdelkarim’s impressive performances in friendly matches. It has given the Egyptian a genuine opportunity to continue working with the first team at a time when Barcelona are searching for an answer at centre-forward.

It would be difficult to imagine Abdelkarim beginning the season as Barcelona’s main striker, given the responsibility attached to leading the line for a team competing for every major trophy. However, his presence on the substitutes’ bench is becoming a realistic possibility.

Flick could turn to Abdelkarim in matches where Barcelona need a conventional striker capable of contesting aerial balls and taking advantage of crosses. That quality could give him an advantage over other options in the squad, particularly because few of Flick’s available forwards offer the same characteristics.

Raphinha and Adeyemi could provide false-nine solutions, but Abdelkarim would give Barcelona a more traditional presence inside the penalty area. The absence of an immediate answer in the transfer market could therefore become an unexpected opportunity for the young Egyptian.

The more complicated the Alvarez negotiations become, and the further Barcelona move from signing another centre-forward, the more likely Flick will be to rely on players already at the club.

That does not mean Barcelona have decided to make Abdelkarim their first-choice striker, nor that he has become the definitive answer to the problem. But Flick’s continued faith in him during pre-season shows that the door remains open.

Barcelona could ultimately build an attack based on variety rather than a fixed number nine. Raphinha or Adeyemi might be used centrally in certain games, while Abdelkarim could come into the side when the situation demands a striker able to attack crosses and compete in the air.

Those measures may work in individual matches, and Abdelkarim’s emergence could provide a surprise boost. Yet a collection of alternative solutions will not easily replace a player of Lewandowski’s quality. Flick’s teams have repeatedly benefited from having a prolific goalscorer at the head of the attack.

Barcelona must now choose between continuing to search the market for a forward capable of leading the line or trusting Flick to construct an answer from the players already available.

With the Alvarez deal proving difficult and no clear alternative yet in place, the club may have little choice but to take a new gamble. Raphinha, Adeyemi and Abdelkarim could become parts of a collective response to a position that has been associated with Lewandowski for so long.

Whether that gamble exposes a weakness or demonstrates Flick’s ability to create solutions from within his squad will be tested when the new season begins.