Barcelona Yet to Make Official Lautaro Martinez Offer as Julian Alvarez Remains Priority

Barcelona are entering the final stretch of the summer transfer window without a new marquee No. 9, but reports suggesting that the club have formally approached Lautaro Martinez appear to be premature.

The Catalan giants remain focused on finding a successor to Robert Lewandowski, with Julian Alvarez still their preferred target. However, Atletico Madrid’s resistance has forced Barcelona to keep alternative solutions in mind.

No Official Bid for Lautaro

According to Barcelona-based journalist Gerard Romero, Barcelona have not submitted an official proposal for Lautaro Martinez.

The Inter Milan striker has also not received a formal offer from the Catalan club.

While Lautaro was previously considered a serious Barcelona target, his current status within the club’s recruitment plans appears to be significantly different. The Argentine remains highly rated, but Barcelona are concentrating their efforts on Alvarez rather than actively pursuing his compatriot.

Inter have also shown little interest in entertaining speculation about a possible departure.

Alvarez Remains the Main Target

Barcelona’s priority continues to be Julian Alvarez.

Hansi Flick and the sporting department view the Atletico Madrid forward as the ideal player to lead the attack following Lewandowski’s departure.

The difficulty is that Atletico have been reluctant to negotiate with Barcelona, particularly because they do not want to strengthen a direct La Liga rival.

With the transfer deadline approaching, Barça are increasingly aware that they may need to make a decision soon.

Several Alternatives Considered

Barcelona have explored a number of possible alternatives in case the Alvarez operation collapses.

Names such as Viktor Gyokeres, Luis Suarez, Nicolo Tresoldi and Victor Osimhen have been mentioned, but none currently appear to have convinced the club enough to replace Alvarez at the top of the shortlist.

That uncertainty has also increased the importance of Hamza Abdelkarim.

The young Egyptian forward has reportedly been receiving specialised coaching aimed at developing him into a genuine No. 9. Barcelona increasingly view his potential as another possible solution, particularly if they fail to land an established striker.

Barça Have Internal Options

Even without a major signing, Barcelona would not necessarily be left without attacking alternatives.

Karim Adeyemi can operate centrally when required, while Dani Olmo and Raphinha have also demonstrated the ability to play through the middle.

Those options could allow Flick to manage the situation temporarily if the club cannot complete a major striker signing before the window closes.

However, they would not completely eliminate Barcelona’s need for a natural centre-forward capable of carrying the goalscoring burden over an entire season.

Lautaro Likely to Stay at Inter

For now, Lautaro Martinez appears to be outside Barcelona’s immediate plans.

With no official proposal on the table and Inter showing no indication that they want to sell their captain, the Argentine is increasingly likely to remain in Milan.

Barcelona’s attention therefore remains firmly fixed on Alvarez, but with time running out, the Catalans may soon have to decide whether to continue waiting for their dream target or turn to another solution.