Barcelona's Urgent Bid for Rodri and Julián Álvarez Amid Araujo's Exit
Barcelona’s summer rebuild has hit its critical stretch. Deco is on the clock, and the stopwatch is set to 48 hours.
The sporting director is driving hard to close two marquee arrivals from Manchester City – Spain midfielder Rodri and Argentina forward Julián Álvarez – while simultaneously scouring the market for a centre-back capable of replacing Ronald Araujo, who is heading to Liverpool.
According to Catalan outlet Sport, Deco wants Rodri’s move sealed by Wednesday at the latest. The Álvarez operation is running on a similar schedule, with the club aiming to wrap that deal up within the next two days as part of a bold attempt to arm Hansi Flick with a far stronger squad before the new season kicks off.
Araujo gone, the hunt begins
Araujo’s departure has removed Barcelona’s defensive safety net. The response from the sporting department has been immediate: Deco has authorised the signing of a “world-class” centre-back, and initial conversations with several targets are already under way.
The clock is ticking. With only three weeks left in the window, Barça want that final piece for the back line in place before the end of the month.
Inside the club, there is one fallback: academy defender Álvaro Cortés. His name remains on the table as an internal solution. But that is clearly the contingency plan. Cortés will only be promoted if no truly compelling option appears on the market.
For now, Flick is preparing to start the season with Pau Cubarsí, Gerard Martin, Andreas Christensen and Eric Garcia as his central defensive core. The German coach also sees Garcia as a potential left-back, offering an alternative profile on that flank alongside Jules Koundé.
Romero: first choice, toughest deal
At the top of Barcelona’s list sits Cristian Romero. The Tottenham and Argentina defender is the preferred option to anchor the new-look back line.
Landing him, though, is another matter.
Sources in Argentina currently rule out an agreement. Romero is not short of admirers: he has offers from Arsenal and Inter Milan, and negotiations with Atletico Madrid are described as “very advanced”. Barcelona are in the race, but they are not alone and not in control.
The major obstacle is the fee. Tottenham want a little over €40 million and are not entertaining a loan under any circumstances. It is a straight sale or nothing.
Romero’s stance is clear: he favours a move to Barcelona. His camp has been briefed on the list of players who could leave the club to make room for him. Yet, despite that preference, no concrete step has been taken from the Catalan side. Every day that passes risks pushing Barça further behind in a chase that is already complicated.
Laporte: tempting, but politically fraught
Aymeric Laporte has emerged as another serious name. The Spain international, now at Athletic Bilbao, has been strongly proposed within the club as a more attainable alternative.
His agents insist his release clause is relatively low. Athletic Bilbao strongly disagree. The Basque club flatly deny any such bargain clause exists, and they are not known for backing down easily in the market.
For Barcelona, this is more than a numbers game. Relations with Athletic are already strained after last summer’s attempt to sign Nico Williams. The board is wary of stepping into another confrontation without absolute clarity on the cost and conditions.
If a clean path to Laporte appears and the price is clearly defined, Barça are ready to put an official offer on the table. Right now, though, the scenario is clouded by conflicting messages and the risk of another institutional clash, which could stall or even sink the deal.
Flick and Deco draw a hard line
While agents and intermediaries flood Barcelona with proposals – especially from Premier League players potentially available on late-window loans – the club’s stance remains firm.
Flick and Deco have drawn up strict criteria. Any new signing must arrive on terms that fit the club’s fragile finances and, crucially, must be good enough to fight immediately for a starting role. No luxury depth pieces. No expensive gambles.
Barcelona are trying to do two things at once: pull off two huge midfield and attacking signings from Manchester City, and replace the defensive heart that Araujo provided. The strategy is aggressive, the timeline brutal.
The next 48 hours will say a lot about how serious this new Barça really is.
