Barcelona confirm Alvarez offer still on table; Laporta ready to roll on without new No.9 if Atletico refuse deal | OneFootball

Barcelona are awaiting an answer from Atletico Madrid after submitting an offer for Julian Alvarez, but are content to proceed without a centre-forward signing if a deal can not be agreed.

The Spanish champions have made Alvarez their number one target for the summer window, though Atletico are reluctant to sanction the strike's sale to a domestic rival.

Atletico rejected a €150m offer from Real Madrid earlier in the window, and are now assessing Barcelona's proposal.

Barcelona president Joan Laporta has confirmed the Catalans' bid, but revealed the approach was rejected because Atletico 'had no replacement lined up'. Alvarezhas gone public in his desire to leave Atletico this summer.

Laporta said the offer remains on the table for Alvarez, who has scored 49 goals in 106 games for the Rojiblancos.

However, if a deal cannot be agreed, Laporta said Barcelona are content with their current squad. He said the £69m arrival from Anthony Gordon helps 'cover a lot of the departments'.

Barcelona have lost Robert Lewandowski, who has joined MLS Side Chicago Fire as a free agent.

“That offer will stand from our end, but it won’t remain forever," Laporta said at a Camp Nou event last week, as perThe Athletic.

"Atletico know what our intentions are. There is an offer, Atletico have it and if there is an option to speak about it we would happily do it.

“If we don’t add anything else, I am fine with it. We will be competitive regardless. If we improve the team a little bit more, of course it would help, especially in competitions where luck plays a big role. Anthony Gordon’s signing helps us cover a lot of the departments we wanted to improve on.”

Barcelona's board do not have a consensus on alternatives if a deal Alvarez does not materialise.

The Spaniards have deemed a pursuit of Bayern Munich forward Harry Kane unrealistic, while there are internal reservations regarding Galatasaray's Victor Osimhen and free agent Dusan Vlahovic.