“Growing pessimism” is starting to emerge for Barcelona regarding the club’s stalled pursuit of Julián Alvarez, with Atlético Madrid continuing to dig their heels in.
While Alvarez has pushed his employers to allow him to complete his "dream" move to Catalonia this summer, Atléti remain adamant that they won’t sell to their domestic rivals.
Barcelona have reportedly put forth a $115 million offer, which hasn’t been responded to. Atléti officials denied at the time that any bid had been made.
The back-to-back La Liga champions remain in the mix, but they won’t be waiting for Alvarez forever. The striker reportedly hatched a plan to convince Atléti to soften their stance, but there hasn’t been any change since the World Cup final.
Alvarez has yet to make another public statement, and he’s expected to report for the start of his preseason on Aug. 10.
Barcelona Content With Signing No Striker at All
Barcelona’s $115 million bid remains in play, and they’ll decide whether to increase their offer around the time Alvarez is expected in the Spanish capital to resume training ahead of the new season.
If Barça opt to end their pursuit of the Argentine, The Athletic understands that the club may not even sign an alternative.
They’re regarded as striker-needy after losing Robert Lewandowski and with World Cup final hero Ferran Torres gallivanting around American talk shows offering no guarantees about his future with the club. The 26-year-old has just one year left on his contract in Catalonia and has reported interest from Paris Saint-Germain.
Barça surely can’t afford to lose Torres, who scored 21 times in all competitions last season, if they end their pursuit of Alvarez.
They should be able to mitigate the departure of Lewandowski via the versatility of summer arrivals Anthony Gordon and Karim Adeyemi. Excitement is also starting to build around 18-year-old Hamza Abdelkarim.
Hamza Abdelkarim Could Develop Into First-Team Option
Abdelkarim joined Barcelona in January from Al Ahly and featured for Egypt at the World Cup.
Entering the summer, there was no expectation that the teenager would be a part of Hansi Flick’s plans for the 2026–27 campaign, but the towering striker staked his claim during a 2–2 friendly draw with Birmingham City.
Abdelkarim scored both goals for the Blaugrana, netting from the penalty spot before converting a rebound.
It’s still early, but the teenager has a genuine chance of being a contributor to Flick’s side this season if they do opt against signing an Alvarez alternative. The Athletic adds that the club is struggling to find another striker who fits their requirements, and they won’t sign a center forward just for the sake of it. Still, it appears a huge gamble to head into the new season with the current options at their disposal.
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