Barcelona face a striker dilemma ahead of their La Liga opener, with the club yet to sign a replacement for Robert Lewandowski, who left for Chicago Fire in Major League Soccer. The club's preferred solution is to sign Julian Alvarez from Atletico Madrid, but Atletico's chief executive Miguel Angel Gil Marin has ruled out selling Alvarez, even for 200m euros. This has left Barcelona with limited options, with the transfer window closing on 1 September.
The club has experimented with Lamine Yamal as a false nine, but Hansi Flick's preference remains for the teenager to operate from the right wing. Yamal has scored 24 goals and lifted the World Cup with Spain. Dani Olmo and Raphinha can also operate in advanced areas, but none are conventional number nines. Fermin Lopez is another option in advanced areas and has said he is comfortable playing as a false nine.
Barcelona's search for a striker has led to links with Arsenal's Viktor Gyokeres, who scored 21 goals in his first season in north London. Reports suggest Arsenal had explored the possibility of including him in a deal for Alvarez earlier this summer. Barcelona may now pursue a move for Gyokeres, but will need to make a significant financial commitment to persuade Arsenal to sell.