An advantage he holds over Alvarez: why did Flick turn to Jesus, "Guardiola's old weapon"?

Jesus was not Barcelona's first choice. The Catalan club had put Argentine Julian Alvarez, the Atletico Madrid forward, at the top of their list to reinforce the attack.

Atletico's determination to keep their man, and their refusal to open talks with Barcelona, forced the sporting management under Deco to hunt for alternatives in the closing days of the window.

Raphinha was filling in as a makeshift striker, with young Egyptian Hamza Abdelkarim another option, yet Flick still wanted a centre-forward capable of filling the void left by Lewandowski and Torres.

The profile Barcelona sought did not necessarily need to be a permanent starter. He had to offer something different against sides that sit deep, give team-mates a rest, or come off the bench in the final minutes when a goal is needed.

Barcelona have tracked Jesus for over a decade, ever since his Palmeiras days before the 2016 move to Manchester City. Their interest this summer, though, arrived in a very different context.

The club opened the window with an extended shortlist, wary of losing both Lewandowski and Torres. Alvarez sat top of it, alongside the hunt for a striker capable of a different role within the setup.

Anthony Gordon and Karim Adeyemi arrived to bolster the flanks, both comfortable through the middle when required, while Barcelona weighed up other attacking targets including Lautaro Martinez and Junior Kroupi.

Atletico Madrid's flat refusal to sell Alvarez to Barcelona forced Deco's hand. With Flick crying out for a new striker, the alternative plan kicked into life.

Nicolo Tresoldi of Club Brugge also came under consideration. But the Belgian side's steep demands, reportedly around 50 million euros, hurried the switch towards Jesus.

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The Brazilian striker said: "Everything happened very quickly. Just a week before, I received a message saying the deal could happen."

He added: "It doesn't bother me to be the alternative option to Alvarez. I have no problem with that. I got a chance to play for Barcelona, an opportunity that was in front of me 10 years ago, and now life has given me this chance again."

Flick believes Jesus has attributes that suit his style considerably, particularly in high pressing.

The German coach said after the 5-2 win over Rayo Vallecano: "I was a little surprised by the chance to sign him. I admire him greatly and I love his style of playing football. He suits our style, and I think he is capable of helping us a great deal."

Intense pressing from the front line defines Flick's system, and it has been one of Jesus's most prominent strengths throughout his career.

Pep Guardiola praised the Brazilian in exactly this respect during their time together at Manchester City. The Spaniard rated him among the best around at pressing and winning the ball back in advanced areas.

Mikel Arteta echoed that verdict at Arsenal, singling out Jesus's ability to hound opponents and force them into mistakes.

Figures from ESPN lay bare part of this role. Jesus averaged 3.64 ball recoveries per 90 minutes across 84 Premier League matches with Arsenal, a rate that climbed to 4.06 last season across 14 matches following his return from a cruciate ligament injury.

Alvarez, by contrast, has averaged 2.57 ball recoveries per 90 minutes since his move to La Liga with Atletico Madrid.

Barcelona's strikers posted lower numbers last season. Lewandowski averaged 1.68 ball recoveries per 90 minutes in La Liga, with Ferran Torres just behind on 1.64.

Jesus and Álvarez share more than defensive graft and pressing. The numbers reveal how closely they match up in attack too.

Jesus scored 21 goals and provided 11 assists during his spell with Arsenal in the Premier League, at an average of 0.63 goal contributions per 90 minutes.

Álvarez, meanwhile, scored 25 goals and provided 8 assists with Atlético Madrid, at an average of 0.67 goal contributions per 90 minutes.

Question marks still hang over Jesus, though. His physical condition and his level as he nears his thirtieth year are under scrutiny, especially after the knee problems he suffered, even if he insists he has fully recovered.

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Barcelona haven't given up on Alvarez despite the arrival of Jesus. Sources close to the club, according to ESPN, indicate that the Argentine striker remains a future target.

One source said: "There will be other transfer windows."

Jesus put pen to paper on a three-year contract with Barcelona, having initially agreed to just two seasons, an adjustment linked to how the deal's cost is distributed for accounting purposes.

The Catalans are also weighing up their long-term options to replace Lewandowski, who has scored 120 goals over four years with the club.

Deco spoke on the matter in August: "I think the signings we have made give us solutions to make up for Torres, but making up for Lewandowski is much harder. It is not easy to replace a player like him."

Alvarez, 26, had dreamed of a move to Barcelona. He ran into Atletico Madrid's flat refusal to negotiate, with his contract running until 2030.

Barcelona's interest in Alvarez lingers, but the Catalan club now have a chance to run the rule over Jesus in the coming months. If the Brazilian delivers alongside Raphinha, who has scored 5 goals in his first 3 matches as a striker this season, Barcelona may no longer need to splash up to 150 million euros on a new centre-forward.