Barcelona have reportedly decided to focus their efforts elsewhere, with top target Julián Álvarez looking increasingly unlikely to leave Atlético Madrid. Reports from Catalonia suggest the director of football has a new priority to strengthen the attacking department.
Álvarez has been touted as a preferred target for the No. 9 since last summer, and Barcelona have made their interest clear for months. However, the club have set a €100m budget for any deal, while Los Colchoneros have publicly stated that they are not considering selling him. Despite this, there has been strong interest reported this week from Paris Saint-Germain, with the French club said to be willing to offer more than Barcelona.
According to MD, Barcelona are now expected to focus their efforts on signing Chelsea striker João Pedro. They believe a deal could be done for around €70m this summer. A few hours ago, Globo Esporte in Brazil (via Marca) reported that Barcelona are working on the transfer, although it is thought that the price tag could be closer to €100m.
However, if Chelsea fail to qualify for the Champions League, that could lower the asking price. The Catalan club are interested in closing the deal before Pedro goes to the World Cup with Brazil.
On the one hand, Pedro is seen as a closer replacement for Lewandowski than Álvarez, offering more physical presence in attack. He is also stronger in the aerial game in the box, something that Barcelona's other strikers lack, and another reason the club likes him is his ability to connect play.
However, Pedro has not had a goal tally comparable to Lewandowski at any point in his career and is considered relatively inexperienced at the highest level. The 24-year-old has only made eight appearances for Brazil and this was his first season in the Champions League, a competition where Barcelona are aiming to make a difference.
t7 live
