Barcelona have entered a decisive week in the summer transfer market. They've moved closer to completing deals for Rodrigo and Joao Cancelo, while they wait on the final decision of Argentine striker Julian Alvarez, who remains their top target to reinforce the attacking line.
Spanish newspaper Marca report that Barcelona's management have decided to give Alvarez one last chance to resolve his situation with Atletico Madrid, before turning to the available alternatives. The coming days will be decisive for the player's future.
The Catalans are waiting on a meeting between Alvarez and Miguel Angel Gil Marin, the chief executive of Atletico Madrid, in an attempt to persuade the club's management to negotiate over a move to the Blaugrana.
Marin had previously promised Alvarez that he would let him leave during the current window if he expressed a desire to embark on a new experience, and the player is seeking to activate that promise in the anticipated meeting.
According to Marca, Barcelona will not keep the player waiting long. They want the striker file settled this week, whether by completing the Alvarez deal or closing it definitively and moving to the alternative plan.
Should negotiations stall, several options remain to reinforce the attack, most notably Lautaro Martinez, Mikel Oyarzabal, Luis Suarez and Viktor Gyokeres. The option of relying on a false nine also stays on the table should they fail to sign a new spearhead.
Hansi Flick trusts a number of his players to fill that position, such as Lamine Yamal, Dani Olmo, Raphinha, Karim Adeyemi and Anthony Gordon. He is also monitoring the development of young talents who caught the eye during pre-season, foremost among them Egyptian Hamza Abdelkarim.