Barcelona is no longer planning to sign a new striker this summer after it became clear that finalizing the deal for Argentine Julian Alvarez, Atletico Madrid's forward, would be difficult, given his club's insistence on refusing to sell him to the Catalan side.
Instead of looking for a replacement in the transfer market, Hansi Flick and Deco have settled on relying on the current squad, while keeping the door open for an exceptional opportunity in the final days of the transfer window, provided the player is of top quality.
However, the most notable surprise in Barcelona's calculations is young forward Hamza Abdelkarim, who has made a strong impression during the pre-season for the new campaign, leading the team's scoring charts and becoming one of the options Flick can rely on in the attacking line.
According to the Spanish newspaper Marca, the German coach believes his current squad offers him multiple attacking solutions, especially since several of his players are capable of playing as a center forward, reducing the need to sign a new striker.
This was clearly evident during the first official match against Elche, where Raphinha shone after playing as a center forward, while both Giron and Adeyemi, despite primarily being wingers, can also play as a center forward.
Flick also has another option in Dani Olmo, who can perform the role of a striker, alongside other talents from the youth team, most notably Bissou, who has shown his scoring ability despite limited appearances.
Barcelona's decision comes after Atletico Madrid's firm stance on Julian Alvarez, as the Madrid club refuses to sell him to Barcelona, despite the pressure exerted by the player and his publicly stated desire to leave, while Atletico appears ready to discuss selling him to Arsenal.
Consequently, Barcelona will not enter a new race simply to sign a striker, as the sporting management believes that bringing in an average player would not represent a real addition to the team.
With only one week left before the transfer window closes, Barcelona prefers to maintain its current squad rather than rushing into a deal that may not provide the desired addition, with the possibility of returning to the market in January if a genuine need arises to strengthen the attacking line.