Barcelona’s decision not to sign Julian Alvarez is paying off, says columnist

Barcelona could hardly have made a better start to the season under Hansi Flick, with their decision not to sign Julian Alvarez helping unlock the attacking potential of the squad, according to Sport columnist Ernest Folch.

Folch argues that Barcelona’s failure to recruit a new central striker has unexpectedly become a major strength, allowing the team to play with greater movement, speed and variety in the final third.

“Think of all the theories we created about who should replace Lewandowski, and how often we dreamed of impossible signings such as Haaland, Kane or Julian himself,” Folch wrote. “And think of all the articles insisting that the team needed a reference point up front. Then the Flick-Deco partnership once again turned necessity into virtue.”

Barcelona had been widely expected to look for a long-term successor to Robert Lewandowski, with Alvarez among the names linked with a move to the Catalan club. Instead, the club chose not to sign a significant replacement, a decision Folch believes has allowed the team to follow a more natural tactical path.

“Flick and Deco reached the wise conclusion that the only way to compensate for the ‘failure’ to sign Julian was simply not to sign anyone, or at least not a structural player,” he added. “It should also be remembered that Gabriel Jesus, if used as a traditional striker, would probably be no more than a reserve option.”

Folch compared the current side with one of Barcelona’s most celebrated attacking teams, highlighting how it operates without a fixed number nine.

“Nothing resembles the old Cruyff Barcelona with Romario more than this Flick Barcelona,” he said. “It plays in the same way, without a permanent reference point in attack, with any player prepared to arrive in the number nine position from deeper areas, without needing to occupy that space beforehand.”

The absence of a conventional striker has not left Barcelona short of goals. Instead, several players have shared responsibility for attacking the penalty area and finishing chances.

“It is said these days that there was no need for a number nine because the number nine is Raphinha,” Folch wrote. “But even that is not entirely accurate, because Lamine also performs the role of number nine, as does Fermin, and who knows whether Gordon might eventually do so as well.

“The point is that there is no number nine simply because everyone is a number nine, or can be one, or can easily create the conditions for a team-mate to become a striker.”

That flexibility is reflected in the statistics. After four rounds of La Liga, Barcelona have three players among the top five scorers, underlining the breadth of their attacking threat rather than relying on a single prolific forward.

Folch also believes the numbers only tell part of the story. He described the start to Flick’s third season as Barcelona manager as their most dynamic yet, pointing to their chance creation and rapid attacking play as evidence of a team operating with confidence.

“Removing a clear number nine like Lewandowski was like removing a stopper,” Folch concluded. “The team is enjoying an astonishing period, light years ahead of their supposed rivals, and sending signals that this time, genuinely, it is close to making the final leap into Europe’s elite and competing seriously for the Champions League.

“Julian, we are sorry to say it, but… how good it is that you did not come!”