Barcelona have new striker target in mind as Julian Alvarez, Eli Junior Kroupi deals falter | OneFootball

Barcelona are trying to sign a new star striker this summer, but until then, their efforts have been without reward. Atletico Madrid have no intention of selling Julian Alvarez, and with Bournemouth taking a similar approach with Eli Junior Kroupi, sporting director Deco has been forced to explore other options with less than five weeks to go until the transfer window closes.

It’s been a difficult summer for Barcelona in their bid to bring in a Robert Lewandowski replacement, and it may not get easier. Atleti are showing signs of relaxing their stance, and given that they have already ended their interest in Kroupi after Bournemouth rejected two bids earlier this week, it has led to a scramble to identify new targets.

According to Cadena SER, Barcelona have identified three possible options to go for if they end up missing out on Alvarez/Kroupi. Joao Pedro, who has heavily linked earlier in the summer, is on the shortlist alongside Vangelis Pavlidis and Dusan Vlahovic, who is prioritising a move to Catalonia despite strong interest from other clubs.

Pavlidis would be an interesting option for Barcelona

Of the trio, Pavlidis is the newest option that has emerged. The Greek striker is off the back of 29 and 31-goal seasons for Benfica, and at 27, he could be set for a move to Europe’s elite at the prime stage of his career, although much would depend on whether the Portuguese giants would be willing to sell at this stage of the summer.

He may not be the flashy name that Barcelona supporters want, especially if he were to arrive in place of Alvarez, but Pavlidis could be an effective signing for the Catalans. He’s been a proven goalscorer in Portugal and the Netherlands for several years, and he would fancy his chances of continuing to be prolific in La Liga.