Barcelona’s striker search reaches a critical stage as Alvarez move remains uncertain

Barcelona’s pursuit of Julian Alvarez has become increasingly complicated, leaving the club facing a major problem in attack with the new season approaching and no clear alternative secured.

The Catalan club have invested much of their planning since January in trying to sign the Argentina international from Atletico de Madrid. However, difficulties in negotiations have created uncertainty over who will lead Barcelona’s attack, particularly following the departures of Robert Lewandowski and Ferran Torres.

Spanish newspaper AS reported on Saturday that Barcelona would be in a difficult position if they fail to complete the Alvarez deal. The club are seeking a striker capable of scoring more than 30 goals, making the position an urgent priority, but the possible replacements all present significant obstacles.

The four names being considered are Lautaro Martinez of Inter Milan, Villarreal forward Georges Mikautadze, Benfica striker Vangelis Pavlidis and Real Sociedad attacker Mikel Oyarzabal.

None of the alternatives would be straightforward to sign. Barcelona would need to deal either with substantial transfer fees, the reluctance of the players’ clubs to sell, or both.

Martinez appears to be the most difficult option financially. The Argentina forward scored 27 goals last season and is regarded as one of Europe’s leading strikers in recent years. His estimated value is about €85m, according to Transfermarkt, while AS says Inter Milan do not appear willing to let him leave.

Mikautadze, Pavlidis and Oyarzabal offer Barcelona other possibilities, but the club would still face negotiations with Villarreal, Benfica and Real Sociedad respectively. The report does not suggest that any of those clubs would be easy to persuade to sell, leaving Barcelona without an uncomplicated solution if Alvarez cannot be recruited.

Despite the uncertainty, sporting director Deco retains credit within Barcelona because of several successful moves during his time at the club. His work helped bring in Dani Olmo and Juan Garcia, while loan deals involving Marcus Rashford and Joao Cancelo have also been viewed positively.

That goodwill could prove important as Barcelona attempt to resolve a problem they have allowed to develop around their most important attacking position. Alvarez has been their leading target for a long period, but the increasingly difficult negotiations with Atletico de Madrid mean the club must now assess whether one of four challenging alternatives can meet their ambitions.

With the start of the season drawing closer, Barcelona are facing one of their toughest tests in the transfer market. They have prioritised a striker capable of delivering a major goal return, yet they have not secured a clear back-up plan should their long-running pursuit of Alvarez fail.