Barcelona Eyes Club Brugge's Nicolo Tresoldi as Forward Option
FC Barcelona’s search for a new centre-forward has taken a sharp turn, and the new name on the table is Nicolo Tresoldi.
Journalist Victor Navarro of COPE reports that the Club Brugge striker has been identified as an option for the No. 9 role, with the German U21 international “very, very much liked” by the Catalan hierarchy. He is not the headline target, but he is firmly on the shortlist.
The shift comes straight after the definitive collapse of Barça’s pursuit of Atletico Madrid forward Julian Alvarez. Atletico CEO Miguel Angel Gil Marin has closed that door completely, forcing the La Liga champions to accelerate their Plan B.
Inside the sporting department, there is broad agreement: Lautaro Martinez is the preferred choice. Barcelona are ready to push hard for the Inter Milan captain and build their attack around the Argentine if a deal can be struck.
But football rarely follows a single track. As the Lautaro operation develops, Tresoldi has emerged as one of the main alternatives — and one who has generated genuine enthusiasm within the club.
A breakout star in Belgium
Tresoldi first surfaced at Hannover 96, but it is in Belgium where his reputation has exploded.
Since joining Club Brugge in the summer of 2025, the 21-year-old has put together the kind of numbers that make big clubs sit up. In his debut 2025/26 campaign, he played a key role in delivering the Belgian Pro League title to Jan Breydel Stadium, scoring 23 goals and adding 9 assists in all competitions.
He has not eased off. The current 2026/27 season has started with the same ruthless edge: three goals in his first three games, a continuation of the form that has marked him out as one of Europe’s most dangerous young finishers inside the box.
For a Barcelona side intent on refreshing their forward line under Hansi Flick, that kind of penalty-area instinct carries obvious appeal.
A talent under lock and key
There is a problem. Tresoldi is not a bargain waiting to be picked up.
He only arrived at Club Brugge last summer and is tied to a long-term contract running until 2039. The Belgian champions know exactly what they have and are in no hurry to sell.
Their stance is clear: any club wanting the Germany U21 international will have to pay. Brugge are demanding a fee in excess of €40 million and have already turned down a substantial offer from AS Roma earlier in the window.
Barcelona like Tresoldi. They admire his numbers, his profile, his trajectory. Now the question is whether admiration turns into a concrete bid in a market where every move at No. 9 shapes the next few years of the club.
