Barcelona Pauses Julián Álvarez Pursuit Amid Late No.9 Search

Barcelona have stepped back from their pursuit of Julián Álvarez, accepting that Atlético Madrid will not budge this month and turning their attention to alternative centre-forward options as the transfer window ticks down, sources have told ESPN.

The club have not abandoned Álvarez as a long-term target and could yet circle back, even as early as January. But Atlético’s refusal to negotiate for the Argentina international has forced sporting director Deco to redraw his late-window plans.

Hansi Flick, preparing for his first season in charge at Montjuïc, has been clear: he wants a specialist No.9 to offset the exits of Robert Lewandowski and Ferran Torres. He sees that position as a priority piece of his structure.

Inside the club, not everyone agrees.

Several influential figures believe the squad already holds enough attacking variety to cope without a new striker if the right deal does not emerge. That internal debate has run parallel to Barça’s pursuit of Álvarez, who has remained their preferred option throughout the summer, as first revealed by ESPN.

Barcelona tabled an offer of around €100 million earlier in the window, which Atlético rejected. The Madrid club have held firm since, repeatedly insisting the former Manchester City forward is not available, even after Álvarez told ESPN he wants to leave in search of a new challenge.

Barça hoped those public comments would crack Atlético’s stance. They haven’t. According to a source, the Catalan side now accept that, barring a “radical” late twist, the deal is effectively off the table for this month.

Internal solutions vs market scramble

Flick still wants a No.9, even if it is not Álvarez. The counter-argument inside the club is that the answer might already be in the dressing room.

Raphinha, Karim Adeyemi, Anthony Gordon and even Lamine Yamal are all viewed as players who could operate through the middle if required. Fermín López and Dani Olmo have experience as false nines, offering a more fluid, rotating front line rather than a traditional target man.

For now, the only natural centre-forward who has travelled with the squad in preseason is 18-year-old Egypt international Hamza Abdelkarim, a sign of how thin the position has become at senior level.

Barcelona had already tested other options earlier in the summer. Moves for João Pedro and Junior Kroupi were explored, but the landscape shifted quickly: João Pedro signed a new contract with Chelsea, while Bournemouth’s Kroupi has been ruled out for up to four months with a foot injury.

Recent weeks have brought fresh names and fresh frustration. Inter Milan captain Lautaro Martínez and Sporting CP’s Luis Suárez have both been linked, yet the financial outlay required for either deal is currently deemed out of reach.

One source says Barça have tracked Benjamin Sesko for years, but any attempt to prise the Manchester United attacker away is described internally as “impossible” at this stage.

Closer to home, Villarreal pair Ayoze Pérez and Georges Mikautadze have also entered the conversation. Club analysts have been particularly impressed by Mikautadze’s data and performances since his move to Spain, pushing his name higher up the list of realistic options.

Time is running, the No.9 shirt is effectively vacant, and the market is unforgiving. Barcelona must now decide: trust Flick to improvise with what he has, or gamble late on a striker who may shape the trajectory of their title defence.