Deco meets Julian Alvarez entourage as Barcelona step up transfer pursuit | OneFootball

There are only around two and a half weeks left until the 2026-27 season starts, and FC Barcelona are still to land a replacement for Robert Lewandowski who left the club at the end of the last season.

This matter has not been wanting in effort. The Blaugranes had identified the Argentine forward Julian Alvarez as their main candidate to replace the Pole several weeks ago, but Atletico Madrid’s clear stance on not selling him has kept them from completing this operation up to now.

Meanwhile, with the upcoming season fast approaching, Hansi Flick is demanding his club to procure a center-forward for him, especially as Ferran Torres’ future is also not too clear at the Catalan club.

In such a context, MARCA reports that the Barcelona sporting director Deco travelled to Madrid on Wednesday to meet with Alvarez’s entourage and to design a strategy for his signing.

The Blaugranes have already seen a €100 million offer for the star forward being rejected by Atletico Madrid, who are clear that any club intending to sign him will have to pay his €500 million release clause. Still, the Catalans are confident they can get their desired forward, and it was with this conviction that Deco travelled to Madrid to design a joint strategy with the player’s representatives to force the Colchoneros into a sale.

This is another indication that Barcelona are serious about getting the Argentine forward and will do their best to land him. Still, they will not be paying an astronomical fee for him, and also cannot wait too long for him, with the next season being less than three weeks away. Now, the key to this operation seems to be in the hands of Julian Alvarez himself, as only with his pressure can Atletico Madrid agree to a transfer.