Barcelona move for striker officially dead in the water as long-term injury confirmed | OneFootball

Barcelona have been dealt another blow to their plans of signing a new star striker this summer, with one of their targets officially out of contention to end up at the Spotify Camp Nou come the end of August. In recent weeks, the name of Eli Junior Kroupi has gained traction as an alternative to Julian Alvarez, although the Bournemouth man will definitely not be heading to Catalonia in 2026.

Barcelona’s interest in Kroupi has gradually increased in recent weeks, to the point that they made two offers earlier this week. But less than 24 hours after that news broke, it’s been confirmed by The Athletic (via MD) that the 20-year-old has undergone foot surgery, and thus, he will be sidelined for the next 3-4 months.

Barcelona had already ruled out Kroupi prior to surgery news

This week, it was revealed that Barcelona had cooled their interest in Kroupi in the aftermath of the two rejected offers, although the fact that he’s sidelined for several months means that a deal will definitely not be revisited in 2026. Bournemouth were determined not to part ways with their prized asset, and while the Catalans were forced to begrudgingly accept that stance, they may now feel that the rejection was a blessing in disguise.

Nevertheless, it does make Barcelona’s plans to sign a new striker all the more difficult to achieve. Atletico Madrid’s insistence not to sell Alvarez to a direct rival has meant that the Catalans have explored alternatives, but there is no guarantee that they will sign someone that makes Hansi Flick’s squad better.

It will be very interesting to see how the Barcelona striker situation develops over the coming weeks, especially if Ferran Torres pushing to leave amid strong interest from Paris Saint-Germain. Flick cannot afford to lose him alongside Robert Lewandowski, especially if an acceptable replacement is unable to be signed.