Barcelona go all in on new striker as Laporta responds to Álvarez and João Pedro rumours

Barcelona’s sporting leadership, led by Deco, believes the club’s absolute priority this summer is signing a top-class center forward capable of replacing Robert Lewandowski’s goals.

The plan is to push defensive reinforcements, particularly at left center back, into a secondary role for the transfer window.

Lewandowski’s departure is not expected to be easy to absorb. The Polish striker scored 120 goals in 192 appearances for Barcelona, a production level that will be extremely difficult to replicate for whoever arrives next.

“He is almost impossible to replace, the best striker in recent years,” Deco said following the club’s official dinner celebrating their LaLiga and Spanish Super Cup titles. “At Barcelona, it is always difficult to replace players, but soccer moves on. Ferran came in as a winger and became a No. 9. It is about making decisions and strengthening the team.”

Financial room gives Barcelona new flexibility

In recent summers, Barcelona’s front office has been forced to juggle strict financial constraints just to register new signings.

This time, the outlook is more stable. Sources indicate the club is close to returning to LaLiga’s 1:1 spending rule, which would allow Barcelona to operate under normal transfer conditions.

Lewandowski’s departure alone frees up roughly €40 million ($46.5 million) in wages, significantly increasing Barcelona’s spending power.

Club president Joan Laporta confirmed the intent to act decisively in the market while still respecting financial limits.

“We will sign what we believe we need to become more competitive,” Laporta said.

Striker targets: Alvarez, João Pedro among options

Several names have already emerged as potential targets, with Manchester City’s Julián Álvarez and Chelsea forward João Pedro both under discussion internally.

Asked about Álvarez, Deco did not rule anything out.

“No one is excluded,” he said.

When pressed on João Pedro, he downplayed the links, though with a tone that suggested the player is on the radar.

“With João Pedro, you are mistaken,” Deco said with a smile.

The Chelsea striker is not expected to feature at the World Cup, a factor that could influence any potential negotiation, as it limits opportunities for his market value to rise further before the summer window.

Defensive stability means focus shifts forward

While Barcelona’s defensive numbers this season have remained steady compared to the previous campaign, the team’s main issue has been clear: a drop in goals.

Raphinha has not matched his output from last year, and Lewandowski, despite still producing respectable numbers, has not delivered at the same elite level as before.

With the Polish striker set to move on, Barcelona believe their attacking ceiling has been lowered significantly.

That is why, for Deco and the club hierarchy, everything this summer points in one direction: securing a new No. 9 capable of leading the line.

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