Deco just can’t seem to quit Julián Álvarez.
Barcelona’s sporting director has made the pilgrimage to Madrid to meet with the player’s agent. Afterall, without Álvarez making noise, there’s little chance of a deal getting done.
On paper, Álvarez looks like a very good fit for Barcelona, and the system that Hansi Flick has built. He presses like a machine, is built for possession based football after years spent with Pep Guardiola, and is a lethal finisher who can put the ball in the net in a multitude
of ways.
Álvarez signed for Atletico Madrid two summers ago, at the same time when Flick arrived in Barcelona. It’s well known that the Barca boss has never been properly backed by those above him, but can you imagine if he had a center forward like Álvarez to work with from the beginning?
Alas, here we are two years later. Flick has already delivered two La Liga trophies with an aging Robert Lewandowski and an inconsistent Ferran Torres. One is now in Chicago, while the other could be off to Paris in no time.
Barcelona are not in a great position of leverage here, and Atlético Madrid know it. The signing of Anthony Gordon worked so well because no one saw it coming. The pursuit of Álvarez has left the Blaugrana looking desperate, and for a club with unstable finances, that is not a position you have the luxury of negotiating from.
As the saying goes, there are other fish in the sea, and Barcelona should have made it clear publicly that they have other options in mind who could just as well be a striker solution. That puts pressure on the players in the market to show they are serious about joining the club, while not showing other clubs how weak their position is when it comes time to decide on the terms of a deal.
It’s been disappointing that so little investment was made in Flick’s project until now. At least, we assumed, it was out of financial prudence. Who could argue with that?
Now, all of a sudden, money doesn’t seem to be a problem. It’s hard to understand what’s going on when Barcelona vacillate between extremes.
One thing that would help is if Ferran Torres had his contract extended before the World Cup started. There was no advantage, and no excuse, in waiting until the last minute. Whether he stays or goes, Barcelona would be in a stronger position with the World Cup star under contract for the long term.
If they were ready to swim away from the Shark, there were options, not all of them expensive, to replace him.
Victor Osimhen isn’t cheap, but he’s a player on the same level as Álvarez, and would certainly come at a lower price.
Dušan Vlahović isn’t at the top of his game, but he’s a free agent, and at 26 years old, is certainly worth having on board given that there is little risk if he agrees to a fair contract.
The list doesn’t end there. Many names have come up, but Barcelona seem to only have eyes for Julián Álvarez. Problem is, he’s taken, and they’ll likely just have to accept that.
The clock is ticking, but there is still time with one month to go before the market closes.
At this point, let’s hope that Deco has a trick up his sleeve.
Barcelona’s rivals are locked and loaded, and ready to take the crown if they can.
The Blaugrana still have work to do. There’s a lot of creativity in the squad, but the most important question remains.
Who’s going to score the goals?
