Barcelona Abandons Julián Álvarez Pursuit as Striker Options Dwindle

Barcelona’s summer plan up front had a clear headline: Rodri for the midfield, Julián Álvarez for the goals. One of those tracks is still alive. The other has all but crashed.

The La Liga champions have effectively abandoned their pursuit of Álvarez, judged inside the club as “impossible” to complete, according to Matteo Moretto on Radio MARCA. For a deal that once looked like the marquee move to succeed Robert Lewandowski, it has turned into a hard stop.

Atlético refuse to blink

Barcelona opened with a bold move: a €100 million offer for the Atlético Madrid and Argentina striker. It was rejected out of hand. No negotiation, no softening of the stance. Los Colchoneros made it clear from the outset that they would not entertain selling the 26-year-old.

That position has not shifted all summer. Not with Barça’s repeated approaches. Not with Álvarez’s own declaration that he wants to leave.

The Catalan club kept pushing. Sporting director Deco even travelled to Madrid this week to sit down with the player’s agent, Fernando Hidalgo, in a last attempt to find a crack in Atlético’s resolve.

There was even the suggestion of one final twist: once Álvarez returns to training next week, he could again make it clear to the club that he wishes to go, ramping up the pressure on Atleti from inside the dressing room.

None of it has moved the needle. The message from the Metropolitano remains the same: not for sale.

And so, in Barcelona’s offices, the tone has changed. What started as a priority operation is now being treated as a lost cause.

Backup plans evaporate

Walking away from Álvarez would be easier if the alternatives were lined up neatly. They are not.

Several secondary options have already slipped through Barcelona’s fingers.

• Joao Pedro is set to commit his future to Chelsea with a new contract.
• Eli Junior Kroupi, another name on the list, has been ruled out for months through injury.
• Fisnik Asllani is heading to RB Leipzig.

Each door has closed quickly, leaving the champions scrambling to redraw their attacking blueprint. The need is obvious: a centre-forward who can grow into the role as Lewandowski’s era winds down. The supply is far less straightforward.

Vlahovic waits, Osimhen offered

Attention now turns to a new set of names.

Dusan Vlahovic, a free agent after his departure from Juventus, has been waiting for Barcelona to make a move. The Serbian striker fits the classic No. 9 profile, and his contractual situation removes the transfer fee barrier that has complicated so many Barça operations in recent years. Besiktas are already pushing hard for his signature, but Vlahovic has kept the door open, hoping for a call from Catalonia.

Victor Osimhen has also been put on the table. The Nigeria international’s camp has offered his services to the club, aware that Barcelona are trawling the market for a high-impact forward. His profile, energy, and penalty-box presence tick plenty of boxes, though any serious pursuit would collide with financial realities and competition from other European giants.

For now, though, the picture is clear. The Álvarez dream has hit a brick wall painted red and white. The clock is ticking, the list is shrinking, and Barcelona still need a striker who can lead their line into the next cycle.