Barcelona went into last summer's transfer window facing a genuine tactical nightmare in attack, and came out of it without any real solution.
Last season, manager Hansi Flick relied primarily on veteran Robert Lewandowski or Spaniard Ferran Torres in the centre-forward role, where they formed the striking force that secured many precious points for the Blaugrana.
The pair left the walls of the Camp Nou this past summer, leaving the technical management facing a fatal void at the out-and-out striker position, and a sharp crisis erupted that threatened the team's entire attacking system before the start of the new season.
Stalled negotiations: the available options fall away
Barcelona's management tried to move quickly in the market to sign a top-class striker to make up for the departure of Torres and Lewandowski.
The first target was Argentine star Julian Alvarez, as the Catalan club entered into intensive negotiations with Atletico Madrid's management to complete the deal, but the latter showed a firm attachment to the player and categorically rejected all the offers presented.
Following the failure of the Alvarez deal, Barcelona pointed their compass towards Italy to explore the possibility of signing Argentine striker Lautaro Martinez, the Inter Milan star, but the deal did not go through.
Flick's wish: the dimensions of the gamble on Adeyemi
Amid the stalling of the major deals, Hansi Flick put a surprise option on the management's table: signing German Karim Adeyemi from Borussia Dortmund.
Although he was not glittering last season, Flick saw in Adeyemi an ideal option to bolster the team, thanks to his exceptional pace, his high capacity for quick transitions, and his tactical flexibility in filling all attacking positions.
The value of the deal reached nearly 30 million euros, a very suitable financial figure given the club's difficult financial circumstances compared to the high prices of strikers in the European market.
Getty ImagesEnd of the market: the crisis continues
Despite signing Adeyemi, the summer transfer window ended and Barcelona entered the current season without signing a distinguished striker capable of making up for Lewandowski and Torres, or even surpassing them.
Barcelona concluded the deal for Brazilian Gabriel Jesus, arriving from Arsenal, amid great fears that the player would be affected by the numerous injuries he suffered in recent seasons, which severely impacted his career.
Egyptian Hamza Abdelkarim was also brought into the first team, and he drew a great deal of attention during the pre-season period, but Flick does not rely on him primarily in official matches given his young age and lack of experience.
Flick is preparing Abdelkarim to become Barca's main centre-forward in the future.
The signing of Jesus and the promotion of Abdelkarim represent a temporary solution to a crisis that preoccupied everyone at the Catalan club.
Engineering the tactics and Raphinha's explosion
Faced with this predicament, Hansi Flick's genius shone through in devising magical tactical solutions that completely changed the shape of the team during the early part of the current season.
Flick worked on making optimal use of Karim Adeyemi, who quickly integrated with the team, and the coach exploited his pace and skill by placing him in several positions, most notably at present the left wing.
Over 7 matches Adeyemi scored 3 goals and made two assists, but he contributed strongly to varying the play and opening up spaces for the rest of the players, which illustrates his major role with Barca this season.
Using Adeyemi in the left-wing position gave Flick the chance to move Raphinha into the centre and carry out the centre-forward role.
Raphinha proved exceptional efficiency in his new position. He exploited his intelligent movement and his eye for goal to become La Liga's top scorer, leading Barcelona to possess one of the most ferocious attacking arsenals in Europe.
Over 6 La Liga matches Raphinha scored 9 goals to top the scoring charts, in addition to two goals in the Champions League, bringing his tally to 11 goals in 7 matches with 3 assists.
Getty ImagesA deadly attacking arsenal for Barca
Barcelona began the season amid fan fears that the team would be affected by the absence of a centre-forward, but what happened exceeded all expectations.
Barcelona succeeded in scoring 5 goals or more in 5 out of 7 matches they have played this season in La Liga and the Champions League.
The total the team has scored since the start of the season reached 33 goals, at a rate of around 4.7 goals per match, a rate that reveals the strength of the Catalan team's attack, which preys on its opponents.