On August 31 local time, according to L'Équipe, Barcelona believes Alvarez remains an ideal candidate for the center-forward position in the future and plans to continue pursuing him. The team's current offensive statistics are better than last season, with Lamine Yamal and Olmo gradually recovering their form, while Fermín, Olmo, and others can also play as makeshift center-forwards.

Barcelona ultimately will not bring in a star striker. This summer, Lewandowski and Ferran Torres left the team in succession. The former departed with many accolades, while the latter's departure caused little regret. The 38 goals they scored together last season also departed with them.

Meanwhile, Hans Flick was unable to recruit Julián Álvarez. Although Barcelona had previously been given signals that Atlético Madrid officials would be willing to negotiate if there was genuine interest, the Rojiblancos ultimately retained the Argentine forward.

Additionally, Barcelona's plan to pursue French forward Kylian Mbappé also fell through due to the player suffering an injury during Bournemouth's preseason.

Will such a situation cause panic in Catalonia?

Surprisingly, no.

At a press conference Sunday morning, Flick even joked with journalists about not asking him about Álvarez, seemingly in good spirits.

Since the start of the new La Liga season, Raphinha has taken on this special role.

Flick analyzed: "As a No. 9, he presses very well. He is a leader on the pitch for the team, bringing intensity and is very effective in front of the box. That's why he's in this position. It's not a problem for him."

Against Athletic Bilbao (2-0) and Elche (5-0), Raphinha performed brilliantly, contributing 3 goals and 1 assist.

However, can this solution be maintained long-term?

From within Barcelona, the club remains very confident: Álvarez is an ideal candidate for this position in the team's future. Although Atlético Madrid president Miguel Ángel Gil Marín refused to negotiate with Barcelona president Laporta, the Catalan club still plans to make another pursuit in the next transfer window.

Before the winter transfer window opens, Flick believes the current squad is sufficient to help the team compete in La Liga and the Champions League.

In the Champions League, Barcelona will face Paris Saint-Germain again.

Statistically, Barcelona's ability to create chances is even stronger than last season. The team's current expected goals (xG) this season is 2.8, compared to just 2.28 at the same time last season.

The debut of English player Anthony Gordon following his arrival also shows positive signs. He quickly integrated into the team with his fluent Spanish and was recognized by his teammates.

Meanwhile, Yamal and Olmo, who recently won the World Cup, are also gradually returning to their best performances.

Of course, these performances still need further validation against stronger opponents. Besides, Flick still has other options who can play as center-forward for this dominant La Liga champions team.

He said: "Fermín can also play in this position. He came on in the closing stages of the recent match and scored a goal."

Besides Raphinha, Olmo has also played in the "false nine" position, and young player Hamza Abdulkareem is also an option.

To further enhance offensive options, Barcelona sporting director Deco made a surprising decision a few hours before the transfer market closed: he set his sights on Gabriel Jesus.

For Jesus, this is an opportunity to prove himself again – he needs more playing time to regain his form; and for Barcelona, this is also a market opportunity.

The club currently needs several alternative solutions while continuing to search for a truly ideal No. 9.

Diterjemahkan oleh AI.

Situs web AF kini hadir! Lihat berita lengkap, komentar, detail pertandingan, dan statistik di komputer Anda. Kunjungi: www.allfootballapp.com