Barcelona’s striker dilemma eased by Champions League evidence as Julian Alvarez waits

Barcelona’s search for a traditional number nine may not be as urgent as it appears, with a recent Champions League trend offering the club hope that success can be achieved without a conventional centre-forward.

The Catalan club are facing a race against time before their season officially begins against Elche at Martinez Valero in one week. Their attacking options have been weakened by the departures of Robert Lewandowski and Ferran Torres, while Marcus Rashford has returned to Manchester United after his loan spell ended.

Barcelona are also preparing to complete two major signings, with both players due to be presented to supporters at the Joan Gamper Trophy match at Camp Nou on Wednesday at 20:00.

Rodri Hernandez is set to return to his former club from Manchester City in a deal worth 60m euros, with a further 10m euros in add-ons. He is expected to sign a four-year contract.

The other arrival is Portugal full-back Joao Cancelo, who is due to reach Barcelona on Monday after terminating his contract with Al-Hilal. Both players could be available for the Joan Gamper Trophy, although Cancelo is not expected to play.

Despite those additions, the main concern for manager Hans Flick and sporting director Deco remains the centre-forward position. Their priority target is Argentina international Julian Alvarez, known as “The Spider”, but only 15 days remain before the transfer window closes.

The uncertainty over whether Barcelona can complete a deal for Alvarez has been accompanied by a statistic that could encourage the club to consider a different approach.

Speaking on the El Sanedrin programme on Carrusel Deportivo, analyst Bruno Alemany pointed to the recent success of teams who have won the biggest prize in European club football without relying on a traditional number nine.

“Yes, Barcelona are required to sign a striker, but we should remember that the last three Champions League winners lifted the trophy without a traditional centre-forward,” said Alemany.

He expanded on his argument by highlighting the attacking systems used by Paris St-Germain and Real Madrid.

“I agree that they need a number 9, but Paris St-Germain won the last two editions with Dembele as a false nine, and Real Madrid themselves won the title after Benzema’s departure, with Joselu on the bench, but with Bellingham as a midfielder playing the role of a false nine,” he added.

The examples provide Barcelona with an alternative to building their entire attacking plan around Alvarez, although the club continue to wait for progress on the proposed transfer. Flick and Deco still regard the Argentina forward as their first and final choice to lead the attack.

Meanwhile, young forward Hamza is continuing to push for a place in Flick’s plans. The reserve-team player has scored three goals during pre-season, including a brace against Birmingham and another goal in the emphatic 5-2 victory over Basel at the weekend.

With the new campaign approaching and Barcelona still short of an established striker, Hamza’s form offers Flick another option while Deco works on the club’s transfer strategy. The recent Champions League record suggests that a team built around a false nine could yet provide a solution, even if Barcelona continue to pursue Alvarez until the transfer window closes.