Report – The shirt number Julian Alvarez will likely wear if he joins Barcelona | OneFootball

Barcelona mean business in the ongoing summer transfer window, and they have made their intentions clear by closing the signing of Anthony Gordon in record time.

With the first signing all but confirmed, they now have their eyes on a second big-money move – this time for Julian Alvarez of Atletico Madrid.

The centre-forward position, after all, is a priority this summer after Robert Lewandowski’s departure and the club see the Argentine star as a perfect fit with his instinct for goal and extraordinary work-rate.

Lewandowski’s heir

Julian Alvarez to be Barcelona’s next No. 9? (Photo by Fran Santiago/Getty Images)

As reported by kit insider Memorabilia1899 in a recent update, Alvarez will be Barcelona’s new No. 9 should the deal go through, and he will thus be the heir to the kit Lewandowski graced until a week ago.

Over the years, several legends have graced Barcelona’s No. 9 shirt and it is safe to say that it is one of the most coveted kits in world football.

Michael Laudrup, Romario, Ronaldo, Patrick Kluivert, Samuel Eto’o, and Zlatan Ibrahimovic are some of the legends to have donned that kit for Barcelona in the past, while Luis Suarez and Robert Lewandowski are the most notable recent bearers.

How close is the deal to completion?

Alvarez wants to join Barcelona. (Photo by Eric Alonso/Getty Images)

As relayed earlier today, Barcelona have reached an agreement on personal terms with Alvarez and are set to send an opening bid of around €100 million soon.

The player is willing to press for the transfer and does not wish to continue on Diego Simeone’s side, meaning that Barcelona have a critical edge in the negotiations.

Los Rojiblancos, however, are expected to hold out firmly for a larger fee, likely in the range of €150 million for their coveted striker. Negotiations may well drag on for long but there is good hope from Barcelona’s end.