Barcelona waiting on Julian Alvarez amid fresh setback in striker pursuit | OneFootball

There is less than a month left till the start of the 2026-27 season, and FC Barcelona have still not achieved one of their main tasks for this summer transfer window, i.e., the signing of a new center-forward to replace Robert Lewandowski.

The Catalans’ clear favorite for this role, Julian Alvarez, continues to be linked with them, but there has not been any major development regarding his signing, which was expected to arrive after the end of the World Cup.

Meanwhile, some of the Blaugranes’ alternative options are also evaporating. One such option they had in their sights was the Bournemouth forward Eli Junior Kroupi, for whom they already had an offer rejected according to some reports.

However, the Frenchman has suffered a metatarsal fracture, for which he has undergone surgery, and he is now set to remain on the sidelines for the next three to four months, and thus no longer remains an option for the Catalans.

In such a context, where time is of the essence, Barcelona are seeing their options shrink with every passing day, SPORT reports that they are waiting for Alvarez to once again go on the offensive and make more public comments declaring his desire for a transfer in an attempt to force Atletico Madrid to soften their stance on his departure.

The Spider already made some comments during the World Cup in which he expressed his desire to leave the Colchonero club. However, the Blaugranes are now waiting for him to make another such gesture, which would be the decisive one, and would break Atletico’s resistance.

Barcelona are not going to make an offer before Julian Alvarez makes such a gesture, and it seems like he will once again have to take the initiative if he is to achieve his dream of playing for FC Barcelona going into the next season.