Barcelona identify “underdog” target in case of failed Julian Alvarez pursuit | OneFootball

Barcelona are determined to sign a new striker this summer, although their plan to bring in Julian Alvarez looks set to fail. Atletico Madrid are determined not to sell to a direct rival, and with time running out for them to change their mind, sporting director Deco has started to seek out alternatives.

In the last few days, new names have emerged as Plan B options in case an Alvarez deal is ruled out. Lautaro Martinez would be a proven alternative, but despite having held talks with his representatives, Inter Milan are surely unlikely to allow their star striker to depart, especially when they would have little time to sort a replacement.

Georges Mikautadze is another option that Barcelona like, and he would be viable from a financial perspective – while he also has La Liga experience with Villarreal, which will work in his favour. However, he’s not the only “lower cost” candidate being considered, with Sport reporting that they are also interested in Nicolo Tresoldi.

Flick knows Tresoldi well from reports in the lower categories of the German national team, and he has received good reports. The 21-year-old, who scored 23 goals for Club Brugge during the 2025-26 season, would be a risk given that he has never played at the top level of European football (outside of the Champions League), although he has the potential to be a world class number nine.

Tresoldi asking price is very achievable for Barcelona

According to the report, Club Brugge want to keep Tresoldi, although they recognise that it could be difficult to retain his services if a bigger club comes in for him. Thus, they have set an asking price of €40m, which would be very achievable for Barcelona – although whether he’s ultimately deemed good enough to replace Robert Lewandowski remains to be seen.