Barcelona face a genuine crisis ahead of the new season. The striker position has become a headache for Hansi Flick, with the Julian Alvarez deal stalling and Ferran Torres's future hanging in the balance.
According to a report published by the Spanish newspaper "Marca", Barcelona are still hunting for a new striker to make up for the departure of Robert Lewandowski. Julian Alvarez sits top of the list, but Atletico Madrid look in no mood to let their Argentine leave.
The club's management are chasing more than one option, yet they still can't get an alternative deal over the line. That leaves the centre-forward role without clear reinforcement as the new campaign closes in.
Ferran Torres only complicates matters further. Paris Saint-Germain are keen, though the French club have not yet lodged an official bid, and an offer could land in the coming days.
Losing Torres would be a heavy blow to Flick. He was the natural replacement for Lewandowski last season, featuring in 38 matches as an out-and-out striker.
Even so, Flick has plenty of options inside the squad. Dani Olmo and Lamine Yamal stand out, alongside new arrivals Anthony Gordon and Karim Adeyemi, all of whom have played through the middle at some point in their careers.
Another name in the frame is young Egyptian striker Hamza Abdelkarim, one of the possible solutions from the youth ranks. He started both of Barcelona's friendlies against Europa and Birmingham, scoring both goals in the Birmingham clash.
Leaning on Hamza or any of the internal fixes, according to the newspaper, hardly looks enough to solve the problem outright. Barcelona need a striker who can handle the pressure at the highest level, especially with the club chasing every trophy on offer.
So Barcelona find themselves in a race against time to settle the striker question, the season fast approaching and the futures of Julian Alvarez and Ferran Torres still up in the air. The centre-forward position may prove one of the biggest challenges Flick faces this term.