With just under two weeks left of the summer transfer window, Barcelona's dreams of signing Atlético Madrid striker Julián Álvarez look over. On top of that, the club released Robert Lewandowski, who joined Chicago Fire at the end of his contract, and sanctioned Ferran Torres' €50 million departure to Paris Saint-Germain.
Anthony Gordon (€70 million from Newcastle United) and Karim Adeyemi (€22 million from Borussia Dortmund) have arrived, but the club still need to sign an attacking player -- or two -- and fast, otherwise they risk going into the season counting on a youth product, a teenager or a winger out of position up front until at least January. For a team that expect to win a third straight LaLiga title, that is simply not good enough.
Outside of Alvarez, Barcelona looked at other targets this summer, but none have proved attainable. Harry Kane is staying firmly put at Bayern Munich, João Pedro has signed a new contract at Chelsea until 2032, while hopes of signing AFC Bournemouth's Junior Kroupi were dashed when he broke a metatarsal over the summer.
So, with the clock ticking, who could Barça turn to?
What kind of forward is needed?
The first part of any scouting process is to establish what's required. Barcelona need a striker, sure, but what kind of style? And which specific attributes do they need?
Naturally, the player in question should be a reliable goal scorer. Lewandowski and Torres shared the No. 9 spot last season and combined for 30 LaLiga goals. Given the goal-scoring ability elsewhere in the team (Lamine Yamal, Dani Olmo and Raphinha, for example) it is not imperative the new man should hit such a number, but he should be productive and a benchmark of 15 goals and/or assists is an absolute minimum.
In addition to that, the player needs some creativity and an ability to fashion chances for Barça's army of goal-scoring midfielders, or dribble to create space for others, should be present somewhere in their skillset.
And lastly, they'll need to be able to press and run -- preferably at high speed. Manager Hansi Flick demands an aggressive off-the-ball approach coupled with a high defensive line, and now the 37-year-old Lewandowski has moved on, this is his opportunity to lean even further into that. It's clear from their other attacking signings this summer, Gordon and Adeyemi, that these are priority traits.
The beauty of Alvarez is that he combines all of these skills, plus he adds set-piece prowess, which is a mix not often seen (and, understandably, is not currently affordable as Atlético value his transfer at €200 million.)
But is there anyone else out there has showcased some or all of these traits and could come to the rescue?
Established names: Mikel Oyarzabal, Lautaro Martínez, Omar Marmoush
The "safest" option at this stage would surely be Real Sociedad's Oyarzabal, who has been Spain's starting striker throughout this recent golden period, which culminated in success at the 2026 World Cup.
He boasts in-built rhythm and familiarity with Yamal, Pedri, Olmo and Co., having interlinked with them for years in the national shirt. Oyarzabal is a solid goal scorer (he netted 15 in 30 LaLiga starts for La Real last season) and a clever playmaker; he also presses smartly -- if not furiously -- from the front.
But there are a couple of concerns here: First is that he's 29 years of age and Real Sociedad are unlikely to sanction his departure for anything less than his €75 million release clause; and second is that he has never played anywhere other than his boyhood club. At this later stage of his career, is it wise to take that leap?
Inter's Martínez provides a lot of the positives Oyarzabal does. He's long been one of Europe's finest second strikers, consistently breaching the 20-goal mark in all competitions, and is as much of a threat outside the box as he is in it.
That said, it needs underscoring that he has rarely -- if ever -- played as the true No. 9 for the Nerazzurri. They've always paired him with a bigger, more physical target man who truly led the line, such as Marcus Thuram or Edin Džeko.
In possession, Martínez likely fulfils the role Barça want of a hybrid attacking midfielder and striker. But out of possession? It would be very different for the Argentine, who, at 28 years of age, has been set in how he's operated for a long time.
Manchester City's Marmoush could also have been a nice fit for Barcelona, as he's comfortable playing as the No. 9, is extremely technically skilled, can be relied upon to score goals and presses hard. But reports suggest he is in advanced talks to join Tottenham Hotspur.
What the data suggests: Georges Mikautadze, Sebastiano Esposito
The problem with established names is they tend to be more expensive, so let's take a dive into the data in an attempt to find a cheaper solution that still matches the profile we are after.
Using Gradient Sports data, we can take Alvarez's strengths and weaknesses and find similar players. The top two suggestions are intriguing, younger and lesser-known options.
First is Georges Mikautadze. He moved from Metz to Lyon to Villarreal in the space of two years, largely spurred on by an impressive Euro 2024 campaign with Georgia. Last season was his first in LaLiga, and he performed brilliantly, scoring 13 goals and assisting six in just over 2,000 minutes. As well as his natural comfort for finishing, his neat touches in the penalty box and ability to tee up chances for others seriously caught the eye.
Unfortunately for Barcelona, his release clause rose from €60 million to €76 million in mid-August, making this a similarly priced deal to Oyarzabal. That said, Mikautadze is four years younger (25) and has not reached his prime yet, so there's potentially more long-term value in this deal.
The other option flagged up by data is Esposito. Once of Inter, and well regarded as a potential star of the future, he went on eight -- yes, eight! -- loans and lost his way somewhat. But Cagliari, whom he has joined permanently, has been the start of something new.
He found a home as the more creative player in their front two last season, scoring seven and assisting five in Serie A. The way he drops off the forward line, receives the ball, turns and passes into space is very impressive.
But there's a potential problem -- and no, it's not the price. Esposito was disciplined by Cagliari this summer for going AWOL during pre-season over a contract dispute. He may play similarly to Alvarez in some ways, but that's not the only thing to consider when conducting transfers.
Gamble on youth: Nicolo Tresoldi, Matias Fernandez-Pardo, Hamza Abdelkarim
Veering even further from the established names, there are younger, less-tested options Barcelona could opt for. These names represent a big risk, but strike true on their potential, and the rewards could be great.
Fernandez-Pardo, 21, exploded onto the scene in 2026, playing a major role for Lille last season and making Belgium's 2026 World Cup squad. He began his senior career as a winger and loves to cut in from the left and shoot, but last season he transitioned to striker due to an injury crisis at his club.
The results were mixed; his blazing speed worked brilliantly on the counter attack, typically in away games, but when space was limited, he showed there's still plenty of development to be done. His physical and off-the-ball traits would suit Flick's Barça and he could grow into a great goal scorer, but he currently lacks nuance in tight and central spaces.
Perhaps it's a coincidence, or perhaps it's not, that Atlético are trying to sign him? Perhaps they already see the next Alvarez in him.
Tresoldi, 22, has been turning scouts' heads for over a year at Club Brugge in Belgium. Part of an excellent team that saw winger Christos Tzolis depart for Arsenal in a €40 million deal over the summer, the German's nose for goal has been praised, while his superb hold-up play and ability to bring others into the game has been fawned over.
And then there's Hamza Abdelkarim. Signed for Barcelona's youth team from Al Ahly on loan in February, the 18-year-old joined permanently for €1.5 million this summer and has played a huge role in the senior side's preseason campaign -- in part because there was no other choice, in part because the strength of his performances warranted continued selection.
He netted four times and received high praise in Spain and from the club itself, and it's possible he's forced his way into a squad role with the first team for the upcoming campaign. To consider him anything more than that at this stage, though, would be the biggest gamble of all.
