Barcelona consider bringing forward plans to sign Premier League striker | OneFootball

Barcelona are determined to sign a new striker this summer, but so far, their search is not going as planned. Julian Alvarez remains their top target for the time being, although Atletico Madrid have made it very clear that they have no plans to sell, as was shown by their rejection of Real Madrid’s €150m offer for the Argentine number nine.

Alvarez is the player chosen by Hansi Flick and Deco to replace Robert Lewandowski, who will leave the Spotify Camp Nou when his contract expires at the end of this month. They are prepared to spent in the region of €100m to secure his services, but if Atleti refuse to drop their asking price, a deal will be impossible – which is why alternatives are already under consideration.

The likes of Joao Pedro, Victor Osimhen and Harry Kane have been linked with Barcelona, but in the last few weeks, a new name has come to the fore: Eli Junior Kroupi. The 19-year-old is off the back of an impressive first season in the Premier League, as he scored 13 goals in 21 starts for Bournemouth, and this has led to increased interest in his services.

A number of Premier League clubs are keen on signing him, and as per Sport, Barcelona are also interested. They have planned to consider signing him in 2027 or 2028 once he becomes more established at the top level of European football, but if they fail to sign Julian, they could bring forward plans to go for him.

Kroupi move would be a big risk at this stage

Image via Eddie Keogh/Getty Images

There is no doubt that Kroupi is an exciting player, but given that Bournemouth would demand in excess of €100m to sell, it would be very risky for Barcelona to sign him, given that he only has one season of Premier League football under his belt. They cannot afford to make the wrong signing, given they have limited funds to use towards improving Hansi Flick’s squad.