Barcelona entered the summer transfer window with one overriding priority: signing a new No. 9. Robert Lewandowski was allowed to leave on the expiry of his contract at the end of June, with the Polish striker joining MLS club Chicago Fire. That left Ferran Torres as Hansi Flick's only senior recognised option for the role — and now the 26-year-old appears to be on his way to Paris Saint-Germain, with The Athletic reporting that the back-to-back Champions League winners are close to an agreement to sign the World Cup final hero.

Torres, who scored the goal that won Spain the World Cup final against Argentina on July 19, was permitted by Flick not to join the team for pre-season as his transfer to PSG is being finalised. Barca sources say they received indications from Torres that he wants to leave, and that the club have rejected a bid of €40 million from PSG for the forward. Barca sources believe the deal could be completed for a figure closer to €50 million. There are complicating factors over his contract, too: The Athletic revealed in July that Barca would have to pay Manchester City between €7 million and €8 million if Torres were to extend, owing to a clause in his move to the Camp Nou in January 2022.

The Álvarez Impasse

Barca sources have said all summer that Julián Álvarez is their only true transfer target in attack. But there is increasing pessimism over the chances of the Argentine striker arriving from Atlético Madrid. Chief executive Miguel Ángel Gil Marín said last month they would not listen to any offers for Álvarez, not even for €200 million. Executive sources at Barca say their valuation of the player would never reach that figure.

Álvarez completed his first full training session on Wednesday after returning from World Cup duty. Sources close to Barca's first-team unit expect the striker to have a conversation with Atlético coach Diego Simeone this week, where he will repeat what he told ESPN during the World Cup: that he would like to leave the club. But there is very little hope of this changing Atlético's stance.

Barcelona insist they are still focused on Álvarez and will be attentive to any possible changes in his situation. Some voices around the club believe the board will keep their plans for him active for as long as they can. But optimism has been in short supply on the Barca end of late.

Mikautadze: The Leading Alternative

With the Álvarez pursuit stalling, Barcelona have been forced to scour the market for alternatives. According to Jijantes, the Catalans have made contact with the camp of Villarreal striker Georges Mikautadze and have already received the Georgian's green light for a move if their pursuit of Álvarez fails.

Unlike Atlético Madrid, Villarreal would be willing to part ways with their forward at the right price, which is reportedly set at €60 million — double the €30 million the Yellow Submarine paid Lyon for him last summer. Mikautadze is fresh off a productive debut campaign in La Liga, scoring 13 goals and providing six assists. Only four players — Kylian Mbappé, Lamine Yamal, Vedat Muriqi and Vinícius Júnior — produced more goal contributions in the Spanish top flight last term.

However, there is a split at the top of the club. Blaugrana transfer expert Gerard Romero of Jijantes explained on his official Twitch channel: "Hansi Flick, as of right now, August 13th, doesn't yet see Villarreal's player Mikautadze very clearly. Deco, on the other hand, sees him very clearly; Hansi doesn't yet. We'll see how this story ends, and above all, there's also an economic question, since Villarreal is asking for a huge amount of money."

The 25-year-old played as the main forward alongside Ayoze Pérez in a front two in Villarreal's 4-4-2 formation last season and fits the mold of the mobile striker Barca are looking for: excellent pace, strong on-ball skills, and a sharp finishing touch. He would also cost significantly less than Álvarez despite the €60 million price tag.

Lautaro Martínez Enters the Frame

Mikautadze is not the only alternative being explored. According to Jijantes, Barca's sporting director Deco met last week with agent Alejandro Camaño to gauge the future of Inter Milan striker Lautaro Martínez. The Argentine is described as one of the options if the Álvarez deal falls through.

Other Options and the False No. 9

Beyond Mikautadze and Martínez, Barcelona have been monitoring other profiles. Victor Osimhen was previously reported as a target, but there is no indication any contact has been made with the Nigeria international's camp or Galatasaray. In the Bundesliga, Frankfurt's Jonathan Burkardt stands out for his poaching qualities — he scored four Bundesliga goals from inside the six-yard box last season — while Hoffenheim's Fisnik Asllani contributed 10 goals and seven assists before a collapsed move to RB Leipzig due to medical concerns.

There is also the false No. 9 route, the role in which Lionel Messi excelled under Pep Guardiola. Dani Olmo, Fermín López, and even Lamine Yamal could play there. Yamal told El País in June: "I will end up playing there (in central spaces). When I'm on the wing, it's easier for opponents to put three players on to mark me. But when you're playing centrally, they can't really do that."

Flick, however, cautioned: "Yamal has already played one or two games for us more centrally. He is a fantastic player and certainly he can adapt into that, but the focus right now is a bit more on him being a right winger."

Summer arrivals Anthony Gordon and Karim Adeyemi also offer versatility, with both capable of playing across all positions up front. Gordon played as a central striker multiple times at Newcastle last season, while Adeyemi was used in that role at Borussia Dortmund.

The Stakes

The need for a striker is clear. With Lewandowski and Torres both leaving, Barcelona are losing two players who scored a combined 43 goals last season. While existing players can absorb some of that load, club sources acknowledge there will be games when the team requires a focal presence rather than a fluid front line.

The search for a striker was the biggest priority of the transfer window from the end of last season, and signing nobody — a scenario club sources say could happen — would be a tough pill for Flick to swallow. One new striker feels like the bare minimum. If the Álvarez option is finally dismissed, Deco will have a huge task in the final weeks of the transfer window.