Barcelona's No. 9 Hunt: Tresoldi Emerges as Álvarez Chase Continues

Barcelona will sign a centre-forward. Inside the club, that’s not a hope, it’s a promise. The conviction around the training ground is that Julián Álvarez will eventually walk through the doors because the Argentine wants out of Atlético Madrid.

But the clock is ticking, and the market rarely waits for anyone.

Tresoldi moves into focus

As the Álvarez operation stalls, Barcelona’s recruitment team has widened the search. In England, reports picked up by SPORT point to a name that has quickly climbed their shortlist: Nicolo Tresoldi, the breakout striker of the Belgian league and Club Brugge’s top scorer last season.

At 21, Tresoldi already leads the line for Germany’s U-21s and carries the kind of ceiling big clubs circle early. Premier League sides have come calling this summer. AS Roma too. None have yet met Brugge’s demands, with the Belgian club holding out for more than €40 million, so the forward remains where he is.

Barcelona, though, have done their homework. The sporting department has gathered full information on what a deal would look like and has already opened channels with the player’s camp, stopping short of making a formal move. Scouts have been compiling fresh reports in recent days, convinced he is one of the most attractive young No. 9s currently within reach.

Hansi Flick knows him well from Germany’s youth setup. The Barça coach has received glowing feedback on Tresoldi’s progression and believes the striker has the tools to grow into a star at elite level.

A striker who has already hurt Barça

Club Brugge do not fold easily in negotiations. Barcelona learned that during talks for Jesse Bisiwu. Yet there’s also realism in Bruges: if a giant comes in with a serious offer for Tresoldi, keeping him will be a battle they are unlikely to win.

On the pitch, he has already made his case. Last season Tresoldi delivered 24 goals in all competitions, driving Brugge’s attack and producing a string of standout performances. One of them came against Barcelona themselves. In a chaotic Champions League tie that finished 3-3, the young forward found the net and repeatedly unsettled the Blaugrana back line.

His game fits many of the traits Barcelona want from their next centre-forward. Tresoldi links well with teammates, operates comfortably in tight spaces and shines against deep defensive blocks that so often camp around Barça’s box. Inside the area, he is a sharp finisher, alive to rebounds and half-chances.

He is not yet the complete package. His dribbling still lags behind other parts of his game, and he remains a work in progress rather than a finished article. That is the catch: the potential is huge, but so is the financial outlay, and for a club walking a financial tightrope, betting big on development carries risk.

Álvarez still Plan A – but Plan B grows louder

Inside the sporting department, the message has not changed: Álvarez remains Plan A. Flick wants him. Deco wants him. The Argentine is the profile they see as ideal to lead the line immediately.

Yet transfer windows are built on contingencies. Barcelona cannot afford to reach deadline day empty-handed if the Álvarez deal collapses. So while they wait, they are quietly building out Plan B.

Tresoldi sits firmly on that list. Not the only name, but one being watched closely, reports updated, calls made, numbers run. If the Álvarez door closes, Barcelona will need to pivot fast.

And when that moment comes, will they gamble on a 21-year-old who has already shown he can trouble them — or hold out for a more polished star in a market that rarely offers second chances?