Barcelona intend to sign a new striker this summer, especially now that Robert Lewandowski’s expected exit has been confirmed. They want to bring in a big-money number nine to compete alongside Ferran Torres, and for months, their priority target has been Atletico Madrid and Argentina star Julian Alvarez.
There has been hope within Can Barca that a deal for Alvarez will eventually be done, despite the fact that Atleti are playing hardball with their prized player. However, confidence has waned in recent weeks, which is why they have pivoted forward Chelsea’s Joao Pedro, whom they see as a much more achievable signing.
According to Sport, Barcelona have moved on to Pedro because they consider the signing of Alvarez to be “practically impossible”. The main reason for this Atleti’s stance, which is to demand well in excess of €100-110m form for a player they signed for €95m from Manchester City two summers ago.
PSG pursuit makes it even more difficult for Barcelona
On top of this, Paris Saint-Germain have recently entered the bidding for Alvarez, whom they see as being the ideal addition to their star-studded forward line. Even in the event that the Argentine striker makes it clear he wants to leave during the summer, Barcelona know that the emergence of the Champions League finalists means that Atleti would not be forced to relax their stance too much, given they would be able to receive much more from them compared to the Catalans.
This summer is massive for Barcelona in terms of adding the quality needed to make a serious push towards Champions League glory. However, the fact they are still hamstrung by financial problems means that they cannot operate in the transfer market at full capacity, and as such, they will find it very difficult to get their desired targets – as is proving to be the case with Alvarez.
