Barcelona’s transfer window so far has been dominated by speculation about a move for Julian Alvarez, with the talk generating plenty of debate among the fanbase and even causing huge tension between the two clubs.
Robert Lewandowski’s departure from the club means a new No. 9 is needed and has led the Catalan giants to the most Barca-coded forward around: Alvarez.
Barca have had an eye on the Atletico Madrid superstar for a while now and would love to have him in their setup.
A superstar in Qatar four
years ago, Alvarez scored 20 goals and added 9 assists in 49 games last season for Atletic. Ten of those goals came in the Champions League from 15 games, and it’s worth noting that only Kylian Mbappe and Harry Kane scored more in Europe’s top club competition than Alvarez in 2025-26.
He scored free kicks against both Barca and Madrid, the former in the most important game of the season against Hansi Flick’s side in the UCL. Tactically speaking, he brings many qualities that will make him an asset. He produces high quality in the build-up, from long range, and at set pieces, all things Barca fans would love to have, along with stamina, pace and an attitude to press the life out of the opponent.
While Alvarez can bring dynamism in attack with his off-ball runs, Flick may find it tricky to use a non-traditional No. 9 in his setup. But we have known Flick to be extremely versatile and adaptable, so it wouldn’t shock anyone to see Barca using Alvarez’s quality in pressing to score goals and achieve important results.
The real positive, and the core reason why Alvarez is seen as a Barca-coded forward is his technical ability in front of goal. Alvarez has a great weaker foot shot, as well as an eye for quick one-twos, something that Lamine Yamal has always benefitted from with other players. He offers a reminder of former profiles not seen much today – such as David Villa and Sergio Aguero. He is also excellent at chance creation, with his heatmaps often being heavy in the Messi-zone or Zone 14 — the pocket just outside the box where most creative play originates.
In the final third, there is no question that he is a great forward. His occupation of half-spaces and ability to break lines when dropping deep are useful traits to have and will allow Raphinha, Lamine and Co. to boost their own numbers in attack. In fact, at Manchester City, he even replaced Kevin De Bruyne when the latter was injured and played as a makeshift CAM for a few games.
On the flip side, historically speaking, something Barca have struggled to do, is pull big games from a stuck game state. A forward who is excellent at linkup play will always help your team exploit spaces, but the concern is the breaking of the low block, when there is no space.
In a low block, the team requires a striker that can bulldoze through defenses. Someone who latches on to half chances and crosses and kills games off. This was a trademark Lewandowski skillset, with regular goals scored acrobatically or with a quick finish, with the help of intelligent positioning.
The biggest example of this type of situation last season was against Atleti in the second league meeting between the clubs, when Lewandowski scored a unique finish with his torso. This type of improvisation is what wins games from a deadlock. Alvarez hasn’t yet shown these qualities in his career so far, with glimpses of it coming when he played under Pep at Manchester City, but not much under Cholo Simeone. So naturally, this is one area where Barca might have to compromise a little and trust Alvarez to improve his game..
While there is no doubt that he should blossom playing alongside quality forwards such as Raphinha and Yamal, there remain some questions about effectiveness against the low block in Barca’s possession-heavy system, along with his high price. Overall however, I think any club would rather have Alvarez play for their team than against them.
