Barcelona Weigh Gyokeres Move as Alvarez Pursuit Stalls
Barcelona’s search for a new No. 9 has hit a wall, and a new name is suddenly pushing to the front of the queue: Viktor Gyokeres.
With the club’s chase of Julian Alvarez locked in a stalemate, Barça are now preparing to study the Arsenal striker’s situation, according to Jose Alvarez Haya, with movement expected in the coming hours. The Catalan side are not walking away from Alvarez, but the reality of the market is forcing them to open another door.
Atletico Madrid have slammed the first one shut.
Atletico block Alvarez, Barcelona look elsewhere
For weeks, Barcelona’s plan at centre-forward has revolved around one man. Julian Alvarez is the preferred option, the profile the club see as ideal to spearhead their attack.
Atletico Madrid, though, have made their position brutally clear. The Rojiblancos are refusing to even sit at the table with Barcelona over their Argentine star. No talks, no negotiation, no softening of the stance. That hard line has turned what was already a complicated deal into something close to impossible.
As that reality bites, the Catalans have been forced to scan the market. Lautaro Martinez’s name surfaced, as did Sporting Lisbon striker Luis Suarez, but those possibilities quickly cooled and never advanced.
So the spotlight has swung to Gyokeres.
The Arsenal forward has emerged as a serious alternative in the wake of Ferran Torres’ departure, a move that has left Barcelona even lighter in attacking options. According to El Chiringuito’s Jose Alvarez Haya, the club are now expected to make concrete moves to gauge Arsenal’s position and the Swedish international’s availability.
For now, Alvarez remains the top target on the board. But with Atletico showing no sign of softening, Barcelona are clearly bracing for the scenario in which they have to pivot decisively.
Gyokeres: big fee, mixed debut year
Gyokeres arrived at Arsenal last summer carrying the weight of expectation and a hefty price tag, joining from Sporting Lisbon in a deal worth around €70 million after tearing through defences in Portugal as one of Europe’s most prolific strikers.
England, though, has told a more nuanced story.
He finished the 2025-26 campaign with 21 goals in all competitions for Arsenal — a solid return, especially for a first season in the Premier League, but short of the extraordinary scoring numbers he posted at Sporting. Those comparisons have fuelled doubts and debate around his impact, and his status underlined that uncertainty: there were stretches of the season when he was not an automatic starter.
That is exactly the sort of profile that tempts a club like Barcelona in the final days of a transfer window. Proven scoring instinct, questions over his role at his current club, and a market suddenly shifting around a blocked primary target.
Barcelona have not yet abandoned the Alvarez dream. But if Atletico’s stance holds firm and the clock keeps ticking, the question becomes simple: do they gamble on Gyokeres to lead their line into the new season?
