Barcelona remain desperate for a striker following Robert Lewandowski’s departure, and their search for a replacement has hit wall after wall.
The Blaugrana made Julian Alvarez their priority target, but Atletico Madrid have flatly refused to sell. Victor Osimhen was strongly considered, but a deal was shelved due to the striker’s excessive wage demands. Deco even reached out to Bournemouth to assess the availability of teenage sensation Eli Junior Kroupi, who had taken the Premier League by storm with 12 league goals this season, only to be told he was not for sale — and the youngster has since undergone surgery, ruling him out for three to four months and making a deal impossible anyway.
With Ferran Torres potentially heading to PSG, Barcelona could be heading into next season without a single recognised striker. Here are three options they must explore.
Gabriel Jesus: Arsenal — £18-20m
Arsenal are open to selling Jesus this summer, with multiple clubs in talks and his contract running down. The Gunners are asking up to £20 million — a bargain for a proven top-level striker who knows what it takes to perform at the highest level.
Dusan Vlahovic: Juventus — Free
Vlahovic has been on Barcelona’s radar since before his 2022 move to Juventus and is out of contract this summer, making him a particularly attractive option financially. A free transfer for a striker of his calibre is almost impossible to ignore.
Darwin Nunez: Al Hilal — £40m
Nunez is expected to leave Al Hilal this summer after a disastrous spell in Saudi Arabia, where he has barely featured since February. At 27, he has a point to prove and a return to European football under a club of Barcelona’s stature could be exactly the fresh start his career needs.
