Barcelona's Striker Hunt: Álvarez or Pavlidis?
Barcelona’s striker hunt has a clear priority and a very real problem.
At the top of Deco’s list sits Julián Álvarez. The Barcelona sporting director has identified the Argentina international as the ideal heir to Robert Lewandowski, who left for Chicago Fire, and the feeling is said to be mutual. Álvarez is reportedly keen on trading Atlético Madrid for Camp Nou.
Atlético’s response has been blunt.
The Rojiblancos have already rejected a Barcelona offer worth €100 million, according to Spanish outlet AS, and are not entertaining the idea of selling a forward tied to a contract in Madrid until 2030. The tension has escalated to the point where Atlético have allegedly complained to FIFA, convinced that Barça’s approach for Álvarez overstepped the line.
So Barcelona wait. But they cannot wait forever.
If a deal for Álvarez does not materialise in the coming weeks, the Catalan club will have to pivot. That is where Vangelis Pavlidis enters the frame.
Pavlidis on Barca’s radar
AS reports that Pavlidis, now at Benfica, is among the first alternative options Deco is weighing up should the Álvarez pursuit collapse. The Greek striker has forced his way into the conversation the hard way: by scoring relentlessly.
Signed by Benfica from AZ Alkmaar in 2024, Pavlidis delivered a prolific first season in Lisbon. He struck 30 goals and added six assists in 53 appearances across all competitions, numbers that inevitably draw the eyes of Europe’s elite.
One particular night will not have been forgotten in Barcelona. In the Champions League league phase last season, Pavlidis tore into Barça’s defence, completing a first-half hat-trick inside the opening half-hour. Benfica eventually lost that wild game 5-4, but the damage he inflicted left a mark on Barcelona’s staff and recruitment team.
Now, with Lewandowski gone and the centre-forward role open, that memory suddenly feels relevant.
From Bochum hopeful to Benfica spearhead
Pavlidis’ route to this point has been anything but straightforward.
At 16, he left Greece to chase a Bundesliga dream with VfL Bochum’s youth system. The breakthrough never came. Bochum sent him on loan to Borussia Dortmund II, then to Willem II in the Netherlands, searching for a platform where his talent could breathe.
He found it in the Eredivisie. Willem II took him on permanently, and his form there – smart movement, sharp finishing, a growing presence in the box – pushed him up another rung. AZ Alkmaar stepped in during 2021, paying what now looks like a bargain €2.5 million fee for the Greece international.
From there, his numbers and performances kept climbing. Benfica, always alert to undervalued forwards, pounced. Now, just a year later, he is being mentioned as a potential No. 9 for Barcelona.
Benfica’s stance: hands off
There is, however, a major obstacle. Pavlidis is not on the market.
AS notes that Benfica have him under contract until 2029 and see no reason to cash in. New coach Marco Silva, who replaced José Mourinho after Mourinho’s move to Real Madrid, considers Pavlidis central to his plans and has already seen the striker underline that status in emphatic fashion.
On Thursday, in the second leg of the Europa League second qualifying round, Pavlidis scored the first four goals in a 5-0 demolition of St. Gallen. Benfica had lost the first leg 2-1 in Switzerland, but the Greek forward ripped the tie away from the visitors almost single-handedly, propelling the Portuguese side into the third qualifying round.
Heart of Midlothian await next. Benfica go on. So does the speculation.
For Barcelona, the equation is stark. Push Atlético to breaking point for Álvarez, or test Benfica’s resolve for a striker who has already shown them, up close, exactly how ruthless he can be.
