Barcelona are pressing on in their pursuit of a new striker to lead the attack next season. Talks continue over Argentina's Julian Alvarez, but fresh names have landed on sporting director Deco's table.
Spanish newspaper "AS" report that Greek striker Vangelis Pavlidis, the Benfica star, is among the options under consideration as a backup plan should the Alvarez deal stall.
Interest in Pavlidis has grown since the severe injury to Ele Junior Krupi, who faces between three and four months out with a metatarsal fracture. Barcelona now need reinforcements up front, and fast.
Pavlidis may not top the club's list of priorities, but his technical quality and clear eye for goal make him appealing to the sporting department. His relatively low cost compared to the alternatives only strengthens the case.
Much of the deal hinges on Ferran Torres. He still enjoys the confidence of manager Hansi Flick, and the club want to tie him down to a new contract. Yet his departure this window would hand Deco far more room to manoeuvre.
The numbers make Pavlidis hard to ignore. He struck 30 goals and provided six assists in 53 matches across all competitions last season, having joined Benfica for 18 million euros from Dutch club AZ Alkmaar in 2024.
The 27-year-old boosted his stock this week with four goals against Switzerland's St Gallen in the Europa League qualifiers, dragging his name back into the European spotlight.
Camp Nou fans know Pavlidis all too well. He scored a historic hat-trick in just 29 minutes against Barcelona in a Champions League group stage match last season in Lisbon, the fastest player ever to manage the feat against the Catalans in European competition. Barcelona still won 5-4 in a thriller.