Tactical mismatch and high cost push Barcelona away from 25-year-old striker target – Report | OneFootball

Robert Lewandowski remains one of the most important players for FC Barcelona, but his advanced age, as he is already 37, is driving the Catalan club to look for his potential replacements in the market.

One name that had been on their radar is Atlético Madrid forward Julián Álvarez, who has impressed in several moments since arriving in Spain and had previously attracted Barcelona due to his qualities and his age.

However, according to SPORT, Barcelona have now pushed the idea of signing Álvarez into the background. The Catalan club was not convinced by his display in their recent match against Atlético at the Camp Nou and no longer views him as a priority for next season or as a future replacement for Lewandowski.

Although Álvarez enjoyed a spectacular World Cup in Qatar in 2022 and has shown flashes of brilliance at Atlético, the Blaugrana technical staff believe he is not the type of striker they currently need.

The club is instead targeting a profile much closer to Raphinha, who brings relentless work rate, a strong winning mentality, and regular goals. Finding a player with this combination is proving difficult in the current market, but Barcelona will continue their search.

Another decisive factor is Álvarez’s price. His release clause stands at €500 million, and Atlético are not expected to negotiate unless the offer exceeds €200 million.

Barcelona have no intention of committing such an amount, especially at a time when they want to build their attack around Lamine Yamal, who is considered the star of the present and future. Any new signing will be required to complement the young winger rather than compete with him for prominence.

Barcelona know that Lewandowski will eventually need a successor, but they refuse to take that step at any cost. Ferran Torres has performed well whenever he has been used in the striker role, and the club intends to be extremely selective in choosing a goalscorer who can truly make a difference.

As a result of all these factors, the Catalan giants have decided to cool their interest in Julián Álvarez for now.