Barcelona have announced their third signing of the summer: Jesse Bisiwu. The Catalan club paid Club Brugge an initial fee of €8.5million for the 18-year-old left-winger, with the Belgian club retaining a 20 per cent sell-on clause. Bisiwu is rated as a top prospect by Barcelona's sporting director Deco, and the club saw this deal as a market opportunity with the player's contract running out next year. The plan is for him to stay close to the first team, with the possibility of getting some minutes with the reserve side Barca Atletic.

Ter Stegen Departs for Ajax

On the departures front, Marc-Andre ter Stegen joined Barcelona's training camp in England but left on Friday as he was finally set to join Ajax on loan for this season. The deal was announced on Tuesday morning. Barcelona sources say they will be paying around 90 per cent of his wages, although the Dutch side might end up paying a larger share depending on his involvement and success.

The Julian Alvarez Saga

Barcelona's pursuit of Julian Alvarez from Atletico Madrid is growing increasingly pessimistic. Barca sources believe that a report Atletico filed to the Spanish FA regarding Alvarez will not have any significant consequences for them, and the club maintain that their stance has not changed — although that does not mean there has been positive progress.

Officials insist they submitted a first formal offer to Atletico for the Argentina striker of around €100million in early June. Atletico sources denied that at the time. Barcelona say their offer has not been responded to, but their interest remains. However, their position is that they will not stay in the mix forever, nor will they drastically increase their valuation.

There is growing pessimism at the Barcelona end over their chances of signing Alvarez by the end of the window. He is expected back at training with Atletico on August 10, and it is around this time that the Catalans are expected to make a final decision in their chase for the player.

If Barcelona were to withdraw their interest in Alvarez, club officials have told The Athletic they might not add anybody else this summer. They also say the signings of fellow forwards Anthony Gordon and Karim Adeyemi offer versatility, and that other players within the squad could perform as central strikers.

Abdelkarim Emerges as Backup Option

One such option is 18-year-old Hamza Abdelkarim, who joined in January from Cairo's Al Ahly and played for Egypt at the World Cup. After scoring two goals in a friendly with Birmingham City on Friday, he is expected to stay around the first team as backup for the No 9 role — which needs to be filled following Robert Lewandowski's departure on the expiry of his contract in June.

Defensive Reinforcements Cooled

The No 9 spot remains Barcelona's biggest priority, but senior officials admit that the pool of strikers suited to their requirements is very limited. Barcelona have also been eyeing defensive reinforcements, but the chances of moves being made here have cooled. Some senior club figures believe a left-footed centre-back would improve the team, but manager Hansi Flick is happy with the options he has. Gerard Martin is expected to be fully regarded as a centre-back from now on, and for a new defensive signing to come in, Barcelona would need to sell from that area — something which looks unlikely. Ronald Araujo and Jules Kounde have no intention of leaving, while Alejandro Balde confirmed this week he won't be moving.

Torres Future Uncertain

Ferran Torres is arguably the hottest topic in the departures department. The scorer of Spain's World Cup-winning goal is entering the final year of his contract, and no extension has been agreed. There have been reports in Spain of interest from Paris Saint-Germain, though The Athletic has not verified this.

In an interview with NBC in New York on Monday, Torres was asked where he will be playing in the coming season. "I have a contract at Barcelona, but in football you never know," he replied. "I'm just waiting to make the right decision, but I don't know yet."

Then there are Marc Casado and Roony Bardghji. Both know they will have very limited roles under Flick in 2026-27, and all sides involved are exploring the best options available. Casado, now 22 and a boyhood Barca fan, has always been very keen on staying, despite the club sanctioning his sale. In the case of 20-year-old Bardghji, a loan where he could gain more regular minutes is seen as the most likely scenario.