Barcelona deadline for Julian Alvarez offer enters decisive stage | OneFootball

FC Barcelona are reaching the point where they must decide whether to keep waiting for Julian Alvarez or move fully towards another striker target.

According to AS, Joan Laporta had already warned that Barca’s offer would not remain open indefinitely, setting the deadline between the final week of July and the beginning of August.

That window has now started to close, placing greater pressure on the operation after Atletico Madrid repeatedly insisted that the Argentine forward is not for sale.

Laporta was clear after returning as president that Barcelona had made an offer but would not leave it on the table forever. He later narrowed the timeframe, making the end of July and start of August the key period for a final decision.

Atletico’s public response has been equally firm. Their position is that Alvarez will not be sold, regardless of whether the proposal reaches €100 million, €150 million or even €200 million.

For Barcelona, however, the deadline is not simply a negotiating tactic. Hansi Flick wants to know which striker he will have available before the final days of the market, rather than preparing the season with one major position unresolved.

The club are therefore understood to have an alternative plan ready if the pursuit finally ends without progress.

Barcelona cannot allow one target to control the summer

Alvarez remains an ideal fit for Flick because of his pressing, mobility and ability to contribute both inside and outside the penalty area. That explains why Barca have been prepared to remain patient.

Still, there comes a point when admiration must give way to squad planning. Atletico have shown no willingness to negotiate, and Barcelona cannot spend the entire window waiting for a change that may never come.

The only development capable of altering the situation would be a clear and renewed push from Alvarez himself to leave Madrid. Without that, Barca would risk wasting time needed to complete a more realistic signing.

Laporta’s deadline is therefore important. It protects the club from being dragged into an endless saga and gives Flick the certainty he has requested.

Barcelona should remain ambitious, but ambition also means knowing when to move on. The next few days will decide whether Alvarez remains the priority or becomes another major target Barca had to leave behind.