Rabat – Barcelona sporting director Deco confirmed on Thursday that the club has officially ended its attempt to sign striker Julian Alvarez following a frustrating summer pursuit.
The club no longer needs a marquee striker, as winger Raphinha was successfully shifted into a central forward role.
Barcelona searched for a new primary striker during the offseason after Robert Lewandowski departed on a free transfer to Major League Soccer.
Their top transfer targets to replace him were Inter Milan captain Lautaro Martinez and Atletico Madrid forward Julian Alvarez.
According to Reuters, Deco addressed reporters at the Portugal Football Summit to confirm that both transfer pursuits had failed.
“The idea has always been to bring in a forward with good movement and the ability to link up with others, and Julian was one such player,” Deco said.
“It hasn’t been possible; we made an offer… the club has always said they wouldn’t sell him, so we have to look for other solutions.”
When asked about making another attempt to sign Alvarez during the mid-season transfer window, Deco dismissed the idea, stating that the Argentine is in the past and the club is moving forward.
“Julian is in the past; we have to look ahead, and we’re happy. I hope he’s doing well too, that he’s helping his club,” the sporting director explained.
Barcelona brought in Gabriel Jesus to serve as a squad option up front for manager Hansi Flick.
However, the team’s true attacking breakthrough came internally, as club captain Raphinha successfully shifted from the wing into the central striker role.
The Brazilian international has experienced an incredible scoring surge, scoring 14 goals in just eight overall matches.
With 12 goals in just seven LaLiga matches, Raphinha leads the league in scoring, sitting ahead of teammate Lamine Yamal and Real Madrid’s Kylian Mbappé.
“We are happy because we discovered a new face of Raphinha. But more important is that he’s happy too,” Deco concluded. “We expected that he could do well, but not at this level.”
