With the Julián Álvarez deal looking dead in the water, renowned pundit Julio Maldonado "Maldini" has revealed a magic solution already inside Barcelona, one that could spare the club a trip into the madness of the strikers' market.
Barcelona keep hunting for an out-and-out striker, with Argentine Julián Álvarez top of their wishlist. Atlético Madrid, though, flatly refuse to open talks with their Catalan rivals. That refusal has strained relations between club and player and driven the deal to a dead end.
Close sources confirm the Blaugrana have no clear plan B in the market. Names like Lautaro Martínez and even Germany's Nicolò Tresoldi have been floated, yet there remains great faith in the current squad, bolstered by the arrivals of Adjemi and Gordon.
Raphinha: the new number 9?
The big surprise came from the Movistar+ commentator and presenter of "El Partidazo de la COPE", Maldini, who insists Barcelona need not sign any striker at all should the Julián deal collapse.
Writing in his analysis for Spanish newspaper "Sport", Maldini said: "I think Raphinha will be the number 9 if Barcelona do not sign another player. Barcelona cannot sign Kane or Julián, but Raphinha has a ferocity that qualifies him to be the first defender to press the opponent, and he makes constant movements without the ball."
Economic and sporting hurdles, Maldini believes, make it hard to land a striker who could make an immediate difference. The Brazilian, by contrast, stands out as an internal fix already tried during pre-season. He suits Hansi Flick's ideas too, pressing high, moving constantly behind defenders and helping build play.
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On the other options, Maldini reckoned Germany's Nicolò Tresoldi (22 years old) offers something different in the mould of Luuk de Jong. "He is a top-class striker," he said. "I would sign an out-and-out striker for specific minutes, capable of scoring goals from crosses."