Barcelona's summer has taken a frustrating turn in the transfer market, with their pursuit of a new striker running into serious resistance. After identifying Bournemouth's Eli Junior Kroupi as their primary alternative to Atletico Madrid's Julian Alvarez, the club have seen two formal offers rejected by the Premier League side. The French forward is reportedly keen on the move, but Bournemouth are proving difficult to deal with, leaving Barcelona without the attacking reinforcement they clearly need following Robert Lewandowski's departure and the end of Marcus Rashford's loan. The Alvarez situation remains unresolved too, with Barcelona waiting on the player to force his exit from Atletico.

Off the pitch, president Joan Laporta is recovering after being admitted to hospital with a heart arrhythmia, forcing him to miss the club's pre-season camp in England. His absence adds an unwanted distraction at a critical point in the transfer window.

There is better news on the recruitment front elsewhere. Karim Adeyemi has joined from Borussia Dortmund on a five-year deal for around €29 million, giving Hansi Flick genuine width and pace in attack alongside Anthony Gordon, who arrived earlier in the summer. On the injury front, though, Frenkie de Jong has been diagnosed with a medial collateral ligament tear in his right knee, a significant blow to midfield depth. Barcelona beat CE Europa 4-1 in their most recent pre-season outing and face Birmingham City on July 31 as preparations for the new LaLiga campaign continue.