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"Growing pessimism" is beginning to surface at Barcelona over the club's stalled bid to sign Julián Alvarez, with Atlético Madrid continuing to hold firm.
Although Alvarez has urged his club to let him fulfill his "dream" transfer to Catalonia this summer, Atléti remain resolute in their refusal to sell to a domestic competitor.
Barcelona have reportedly tabled a $115 million offer, which has gone unanswered. Atléti representatives denied at the time that any formal bid had been submitted.
The reigning back-to-back La Liga champions are still in contention, but they won't wait indefinitely for Alvarez. The forward reportedly devised a plan to persuade Atléti to reconsider their position, yet nothing has shifted since the World Cup final.
Alvarez has not made any further public comments, and he is expected to report for preseason on Aug. 10.
Barcelona Content With Signing No Striker at All
Barcelona's $115 million offer remains on the table, and the club will assess whether to raise it around the time Alvarez is due back in the Spanish capital for preseason training.
Should Barça choose to abandon their pursuit of the Argentine, The Athletic understands the club may not even move for a replacement.
They are considered to be in need of a striker following Robert Lewandowski's departure, and with World Cup final standout Ferran Torres making the rounds on American talk shows while offering no certainty about his future at the club. The 26-year-old has just one year remaining on his deal in Catalonia and has attracted reported interest from Paris Saint-Germain.
Barça can ill afford to lose Torres, who netted 21 goals across all competitions last season, if they walk away from the Alvarez chase.
They should be able to offset Lewandowski's exit through the versatility of summer signings Anthony Gordon and Karim Adeyemi. Anticipation is also growing around 18-year-old Hamza Abdelkarim.
Hamza Abdelkarim Could Develop Into First-Team Option
Abdelkarim joined Barcelona in January from Al Ahly and represented Egypt at the World Cup.
Heading into the summer, there was little expectation that the teenager would factor into Hansi Flick's plans for the 2026–27 season, but the imposing striker made a strong case for himself during a 2–2 friendly against Birmingham City.
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Abdelkarim scored both goals for the Blaugrana, first converting from the penalty spot before tapping in a rebound.
It remains early days, but the teenager has a real opportunity to contribute to Flick's squad this season if the club opts against pursuing an Alvarez alternative. The Athletic notes that Barcelona are struggling to identify another striker who meets their criteria and will not sign a center forward simply to fill a spot. Nevertheless, heading into the new campaign with their current attacking options looks like a considerable risk.