After securing the arrival of Rodri, Barcelona have only two positions of importance as far as the summer transfer window goes – centre-back and centre-forward.
All emphasis, however, is only on the latter department, especially with all the uncertainty around Julian Alvarez’s situation.
The Argentine star is indeed keen on a move to Catalonia and is set to meet with the hierarchy of his club later this week.
He does not, however, appear to have the grit to take a firm stance and push for a departure that the club are unwilling to sanction.
In that sense, Barcelona already have some backup plans ready, and it is only a question of how long they will wait before they activate the same.
Time until the weekend
As reported by Victor Navarro in a recent update, Deco is already looking to move to alternative targets but has opted to wait a little longer for Alvarez to make a move.
Barcelona have already waited too long. (Photo by Florencia Tan Jun/Getty Images)
If Barcelona are not able to see movement on the Argentine star’s file by Saturday, the sporting director will begin moving on other fronts.
Progress is already being made to keep backup options ready, but they will be triggered as of the weekend.
All eyes, thus, will be on Alvarez’s midweek meeting with the Atletico Madrid hierarchy although there is not much optimism.
After all, even the manager Diego Simeone openly declared that the striker will not leave earlier today.
Who are the backup options?
The striker market is quite bleak as matters stand, and not many alternatives stand out for Barcelona if they fail to secure the Atletico Madrid star.
Mikautadze is one of the players who has been linked as a backup plan. (Photo by Claudio Villa/Getty Images)
Earlier this week, there was news that Sporting striker Luis Suarez was seen as a promising target for the Catalans, but it was quickly clarified that the links did not have much backing.
In recent hours, another name has appeared as a top target, and it is none other than Villarreal striker Georges Mikautadze.
The final call, however, will rest with Hansi Flick. Last week, it was reported that the German manager did not see the 26-year-old as a great option, but it remains to be seen if he changes his mind on the same.