Barcelona Still Have Julian Alvarez in Their Plans Despite Raphinha’s Stunning Start

Barcelona may have found an unexpected solution to their striker problem, but the club has apparently not completely forgotten about one of its biggest summer targets.

Hansi Flick's team has made a spectacular start to the 2026/27 campaign, winning all eight matches across all competitions and producing an impressive stream of goals.

One of the biggest surprises has been Barcelona's ability to thrive without a traditional No. 9.

After failing to sign Julian Alvarez during the summer, Barcelona instead turned to Raphinha in a more central role — and the Brazilian has responded with an extraordinary scoring run.

He has already found the net 14 times across all competitions.

Barcelona Are Delighted With the Current Squad

According to Fabrizio Romano, Barcelona's excellent start has significantly increased confidence within the club's hierarchy.

The Catalan giants are reportedly extremely satisfied with the way Flick's team has performed and believe Raphinha can continue operating at a high level in his new role.

That has also reduced the urgency surrounding the search for a traditional striker.

Rather than rushing back into the transfer market, Barcelona can now afford to assess the situation carefully.

Raphinha's transformation into a central attacker has been particularly important. His movement, pressing, finishing and ability to combine with players such as Lamine Yamal and the rest of the attacking unit have allowed Barcelona to remain extremely dangerous without the classic No. 9 they initially wanted.

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Julian Alvarez Has Not Been Completely Forgotten

Despite the success of the current system, Romano says Barcelona have not necessarily abandoned their admiration for Alvarez.

Deco recently said that “Julian is in the past,” which appeared to suggest that Barcelona had moved on from their pursuit of the Atletico Madrid striker.

However, Romano has offered a different interpretation of those comments.

The Barcelona sporting director's message was reportedly more about keeping everyone's attention on the current campaign rather than continuing to discuss a transfer that failed to happen.

In other words, Barcelona are not currently operating as though they desperately need Alvarez.

But that does not necessarily mean the Argentine has disappeared from their long-term plans.

Raphinha Has Changed the Equation

The biggest difference between the summer and the current situation is Raphinha.

When Barcelona were pursuing Alvarez, the club wanted a proven centre-forward who could lead the attack.

Flick has instead discovered that Raphinha can provide many of those qualities from a central position.

His goal tally has made the decision look particularly effective.

That does not mean Barcelona have completely ruled out signing a striker in the future. It simply gives the club greater flexibility and removes the pressure to spend heavily on one immediately.

Could Barcelona Return for Alvarez?

For now, there is no indication that Barcelona are preparing another immediate move for Alvarez.

However, circumstances can change quickly in football.

If the Argentine becomes available, if Barcelona's attacking needs change or if the club decides that a specialist No. 9 is required, Alvarez could potentially return to the conversation.

For the moment, though, Barcelona appear perfectly comfortable with what they have.

Raphinha's sensational form has given Flick a solution nobody necessarily expected, while the rest of the attack continues to produce goals at an impressive rate.

Barcelona may have missed out on Alvarez this summer — but they certainly haven't missed him on the pitch so far.

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