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Barcelona plans to pursue alternatives if Alvarez situation stalls by Saturday

Yahoo Sports • 1 min read • Latest: Aug 18, 2026, 4:45 PM

Last updated Aug 18, 2026

Barcelona plans to pursue alternatives if Alvarez situation stalls by Saturday

Summary

Barcelona may shift focus to backup targets for a center-forward if Julian Alvarez does not make progress in negotiations by Saturday. While Alvarez is eager to move to Barcelona, Atletico Madrid manager Diego Simeone has indicated the striker will not leave at this time. Sporting director Deco is actively preparing alternative options, with names like Georges Mikautadze and Luis Suarez mentioned as potential targets. Currently, Barcelona has only one core focus in the transfer window following the acquisition of Rodri.

Source Links

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By the Numbers

•Alvarez's future remains uncertain as negotiations continue.
•Deco is preparing alternative targets for the forward position.
•Barcelona has until Saturday to assess their options.
•Simeone has stated Alvarez will not depart Atletico Madrid.
•Mikautadze and Suarez are among the names linked as backups.

Latest Updates

4:45 PMYahoo Sports — Barcelona to activate Plan B if Julian Alvarez situation does not change by Saturday

What they're saying

"
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 ...
— Yahoo Sports

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