Barcelona are intensifying their search for alternative striker options as negotiations for Atletico Madrid’s Julian Alvarez continue to stall, according to TEAMtalk. The Catalan club had previously considered Chelsea’s Joao Pedro and Bournemouth’s Eli Junior Kroupi, but both are now deemed unrealistic targets.
Barcelona remain in contact with Atletico Madrid regarding Alvarez, however sources indicate little progress is being made in discussions. This has prompted sporting director Deco to accelerate contingency planning as the club prepares for the potential departure of Robert Lewandowski and Ferran Torres this summer, making a new centre-forward a key priority.
Deco reportedly believes Joao Pedro would have been an ideal addition to Barcelona’s attack and the club made a renewed approach to Chelsea earlier this month. However, Chelsea were firm in their stance that Pedro is not for sale, with new head coach Xabi Alonso personally communicating the player’s importance to his long-term plans. Pedro himself is said to be encouraged by Alonso’s confidence and committed to the Chelsea project.
Barcelona have also moved away from pursuing Eli Junior Kroupi, who is also a target for Tottenham Hotspur. While Barcelona admire the young forward, they believe it would take a fee approaching £100 million to convince Bournemouth to sell, a figure they are unwilling to meet given the inflated English market, recently highlighted by Chelsea’s £117 million deal for Morgan Rogers.
As a result, Barcelona are now focusing on other potential targets, with Darwin Nunez of Liverpool and Dusan Vlahovic of Juventus both being discussed internally. While Alvarez remains their preferred option, the club is preparing for the possibility that a deal cannot be reached before the transfer window closes. The situation suggests Barcelona are bracing for a challenging end to the transfer window as they seek to reinforce their attacking options.
