Barcelona's summer transfer business is proving far more complicated than the club would have hoped, with the search for a new striker running into serious obstacles on multiple fronts. Atletico Madrid have formally blocked Julian Alvarez from joining their La Liga rivals, and the RFEF has launched a disciplinary investigation into Barcelona after Atletico filed a complaint alleging the club made illegal contact with the Argentine. That regulatory cloud hangs over the club at a delicate moment in pre-season. The fallout has pushed Barcelona toward Bournemouth's Eli Junior Kroupi as an alternative target, but the Premier League side have already rejected two bids, leaving Hansi Flick's squad without the attacking reinforcement it clearly needs.

In midfield, the situation is equally concerning. Both Frenkie de Jong and Fermin Lopez are carrying injuries, and while Leon Goretzka has reportedly offered himself as a free-agent solution, sporting director Deco appears reluctant to sanction that move. Lopez has also spoken publicly about the mental toll of missing Spain's World Cup triumph through injury, describing it as the worst summer of his life.

On the pitch, new signing Karim Adeyemi made his debut in a 2-2 pre-season draw with Birmingham City, but Flick was blunt in his assessment, saying the performance was "not that good" while stressing the German forward still has room to grow. Off the pitch, president Joan Laporta missed the club's pre-season trip to England after being hospitalised for a heart procedure. Barcelona open their LaLiga campaign away at Elche on August 23.