Barcelona Target Club Brugge Striker Tresoldi After Álvarez Setback

FC Barcelona’s search for a new No. 9 has taken a sharp turn towards Belgium, with Club Brugge striker Nicolo Tresoldi emerging as a serious option for the position.

Journalist Victor Navarro of COPE reports that the German U21 international is “very, very much liked” by the Barça hierarchy, who have moved quickly to redraw their plans after the collapse of their pursuit of Atlético Madrid forward Julián Álvarez.

From Álvarez to a new target

Barcelona had pushed hard for Álvarez, but Atlético CEO Miguel Ángel Gil Marín shut the door firmly, ending any hope of a deal. That setback forced a reset in the sporting department.

Hansi Flick and sporting director Deco have since accelerated work on alternative centre-forward options. Lautaro Martínez of Inter Milan has risen as the preferred choice, with the La Liga champions ready to “go all out” for the Argentine.

But the club are not betting everything on one card. Tresoldi sits prominently among the back-up options, a 21-year-old whose profile and trajectory have made him one of the most admired young strikers inside the Camp Nou offices.

A rapid rise in Belgium

Tresoldi first broke through at Hannover 96, but it is his move to Club Brugge that has turned him into one of Europe’s most closely watched young forwards.

Since arriving in the summer of 2025, his rise has been steep. In his debut 2025/26 season, he played a decisive role in delivering the Belgian Pro League title to Jan Breydel Stadium, scoring 23 goals and adding 9 assists in all competitions.

He has not eased off. In the current 2026/27 campaign, Tresoldi has already started fast, hitting three goals in his first three matches and reinforcing his reputation as one of the continent’s deadliest young finishers inside the box.

Those numbers, combined with his age and physical profile, explain why Barcelona’s recruitment team have placed him on their list as they look to secure a long-term solution at centre-forward.

A costly negotiation

Landing him, though, will not be straightforward.

Tresoldi only joined Club Brugge last summer and is tied to a long-term contract running until 2039. The Belgian champions know exactly what they have and are in no mood to sell on the cheap.

The club are demanding a fee in excess of €40 million and have already turned down a substantial offer from AS Roma earlier in the window. Any move from Barcelona would need to match or surpass that level, at a time when the Catalans remain under financial pressure.

Barcelona want a No. 9 who can define their next era. The question now is whether they are willing — or able — to pay the price to pull one of Europe’s fastest-rising strikers out of Bruges.