Sports

Six Julian Alvarez Striker Alternatives Barcelona Could Pursue This Summer

By Roberto Casillas Sports Illustrated

Updated May 2, 2026 6:12 PM

Julián Álvarez is Barcelona's main target to reinforce their attack come 2026–27, but it seems that every day, the Catalans are linked with other high-caliber strikers across Europe, with Chelsea's João Pedro becoming the latest name floated around Barça's orbit.

According to ESPN, Barcelona already made an informal approach for the 24-year-old Brazilian striker, who signed to Chelsea last summer from Brighton for $81.6 million (£60 million). The report also indicates that Chelsea aren't interested in parting ways with Pedro after a debut season in which he's poised to eclipse the 20-goal mark across all competitions. Still, his strong performances have caught the attention of the Blaugranas.

Barcelona insist they'll be in a position to spend heavily for a striker reinforcement this summer, but it remains to be seen if their economic issues won't compromise their transfer window approach again.

Álvarez is the top priority, but with Atlético Madrid eager to keep him and other suitors also lining-up, Barcelona could be forced to look elsewhere.

Here are six striker alternatives Barcelona could pivot to if their pursuit of Álvarez is unsuccessful.

João Pedro

Barcelona poaching Pedro away might be incredibly difficult, but stranger things have happened in the past.

ESPN''s report suggests Pedro is considered a "cheaper" option than Álvarez, but it will still take a considerable transfer fee to tempt Chelsea to offload their best signing of the 2025 summer window.

One factor that could help Barcelona's pursuit is that Chelsea are staring at an increasingly precarious financial situation. If the Blues fail to qualify for the Champions League-which is all but guaranteed-then they're at serious risk of facing major consequences.

Needing sources of income quickly, the Blues could be forced to sell their stars, and if Barcelona are in a position to pounce-which would be a big "if"-then Pedro's transfer becomes a much more realistic prospect.

Fisnik Asllani

Barcelona are keeping tabs on 23-year-old Hoffenheim striker Fisnik Asllani, who has reached double-digit goals in his first full season in the Bundesliga, playing for the first team of his boyhood club.

The Kosovo international also has seven assists to his name and has all the makings of a complete, modern-day striker. His performances this season and his striker profile have caught the attention of many teams across Europe, mainly in the Premier League. But Barcelona appears to have the edge for one particular reason.

"I've always dreamt of playing for Barcelona," Asllani said back in October. He's also posted pictures on social media watching Barça games on more than one occasion this season, and his agent has already revealed that there's real interest from the Catalan giants.

Asllani would certainly be a much cheaper option compared to other strikers on Barça's radar. Still, he's far from a proven commodity, and Barcelona may try to pursue bigger fish and then pivot to Asllani later if nothing materializes.

But given his age and the potential he's showcased, signing Asllani could be a very wise piece of business.

Alexander Sørloth

If the pursuit of Álvarez fails, then Barcelona could instead turn to his Atlético Madrid teammate, the towering Alexander Sõrloth.

Whether it's playing for Real Sociedad, Villarreal or Atlético Madrid, Sørloth has always enjoyed himself against the Catalans, scoring seven goals and assisting another three in his 15 career games against Barça.

Sørloth has proven his quality in La Liga, and he'd certainly come at a cheaper price than his Argentine teammate. In fact, reports surfaced in recent weeks indicating that Barcelona would be interested in the Norwegian given the similar traits he shares with Robert Lewandowski, who's expected to leave the club this summer.

At 30-years-old, Sørloth's still has plenty of goals left in the tank, but he would by no means be Barcelona's striker of the future. The Catalans may view him as yet another bridge forward that allows the club to further improve their finances in the coming years before finally securing a world-class striker signing.

Dusan Vlahovic

Dusan Vlahović's time at Juventus seems to be nearing its end. | IMAGO/Marco Canoniero

It once looked like Dušan Vlahović was destined to become one of the greatest strikers in the world when he burst onto the scene with Fiorentina at the start of the decade. Now, he's about to become a free agent after four-plus lackluster years with Juventus.

The appeal of a free transfer has firmly placed Vlahović on Barcelona's radar, and at 26-years-old, the Serbia international certainly still has time to resurrect his career.

But it's also true that Vlahović has been far from world-class for years now, having failed to score more than 20 goals in a single season since 2021–22 and currently registering just six goals in 2025–26.

Barcelona want a marquee signing at the striker position and Vlahović would be far from that. Yet, the simple fact that the Serbian would arrive for free makes it impossible for Barcelona to discard him as an alternative in what would be a low-risk, high-reward gamble.

Omar Marmoush

Omar Marmoush has been firmly placed on Barcelona's radar in recent weeks, as the Egyptian star continues to struggle for playing time in Man City's stacked attack.

Being in Erling Haaland's shadow is not a comfortable place-just ask Álvarez. Marmoush had the versatility to play in other positions during his first six months at City, but with the additions of Rayan Cherki and Antoine Semenyo, his role has been reduced massively, registering just seven Premier League starts this term and only 17 total appearances.

The 27-year-old was one of the most coveted attackers in Europe 18 months ago, and a change of scenery could be exactly what he needs. Enter Barcelona, who appear like a dream destination.

Barcelona could try to do with Marmoush what Atlético did with Álvarez. The Egyptian is also a versatile striker that can fit Flick's system both as a finisher and as a creator.

His transfer also won't come cheap, but it won't be as expensive as Álvarez's. If he's available, Marmoush could be the best alternative to the Argentine goalscorer.

Victor Oshimen

Victor Osimhen remains one of the best strikers in Europe. | Burak Kara/UEFA/Getty Images

Victor Osimhen has spent the past two seasons playing away from the main European spotlight with Galatasaray, but all it takes is seeing his performances for the Turkish giants in the Champions League to remember he's still one of the most lethal strikers in the world.

At 27-years-old, the Nigeria international would be a prolific box presence for Barcelona for years to come. The amount of chances Flick‘s side generate would allow Osimhen to feast, and he could become Lamine Yamal's perfect partner in attack, much like Lewandowski was before age seemingly caught up with him this season.

But once again, the major transfer fee Galatasaray would demand stands in the way, and to make matters worse, Osimhen has been known to demand sky-high wages in the past, further making this move unrealistic.

Yet, Barcelona are said to be interested, and if Osimhen is intrigued by a return to Europe's elite, he could be the missing piece the Flick's side needs to reach even greater heights, and he could easily make everyone in Catalonia forget about Álvarez.

READ THE LATEST BARCELONA NEWS, ANALYSIS AND INSIGHT FROM SI FC

This story was originally published May 2, 2026 at 6:00 PM.