Benfica have set a single condition for parting with their Greek striker Vangelis Pavlidis, as Barcelona press on with efforts to land a centre-forward in the final month of the summer window.
According to the Spanish newspaper Mundo Deportivo, Benfica will only sell Pavlidis if an offer they cannot refuse lands on the table. The Catalans are hunting an alternative to their top target, Atletico Madrid striker Julian Alvarez. That search widened after Atletico turned aggressive, lodging an official complaint with FIFA on charges of harassment, and several new names moved into the frame. One of them is the 27-year-old Pavlidis.
The newspaper stressed that Benfica's board see any sale as highly unlikely in the first place. That stance will not shift unless the irresistible offer arrives. As of late July, the management of Portugal's most decorated club had received no official bid for their top scorer.
Pavlidis, according to the Portuguese newspaper A Bola, which is close to Benfica's corridors, headed off on holiday feeling deeply anxious and frustrated. He harboured doubts about the club's plans, convinced the board wanted to sell him to cover the financial losses from failing to reach the Champions League. His worries had grown sharper after a goalscoring drought that yielded just three goals between February and May.
Things have swung dramatically the other way in recent days. The Greek striker fired in four goals during the preliminary round of the Europa League.
Juventus, the same reports revealed, enquired during the window about signing Pavlidis. Benfica's demand for 40 million euros saw the Italian club walk away from the deal.