Barcelona’s No. 9 Hunt: Tresoldi Emerges as a Serious Alternative
FC Barcelona have made one internal promise for the final stretch of the transfer window: a centre-forward will arrive.
Inside the sporting department, there is still firm belief that Julián Álvarez will eventually walk through the doors. The feeling is that the Argentine wants out of Atlético Madrid and that patience will be rewarded. But the clock is ticking, and the club cannot afford to bet everything on a single card.
So the scouting machine has moved into overdrive.
Tresoldi moves up the shortlist
From England, reports relayed by SPORT point to a new name climbing quickly on Barça’s list: Nicolo Tresoldi, the breakout striker of the Belgian league and Club Brugge’s top scorer last season.
He is 21, already a Germany U-21 international, and coming off a season that has turned heads across Europe. Premier League clubs have knocked. AS Roma have shown serious interest. None have yet met Brugge’s demands, which sit at over €40 million, so Tresoldi remains in Belgium for now.
Barcelona, though, have done more than just take note.
The club already hold all the key information on a possible deal and have established contact with the player’s camp, even if they have stopped short of making a formal move. Scouts have been working on his profile in detail in recent days, convinced he is one of the most interesting young strikers currently accessible on the market.
Hansi Flick knows him well from Germany’s youth setup. The reports on his development are excellent. Inside the club, there is a clear sense that Tresoldi has the tools to grow into a star.
A familiar menace for Barça
Barcelona do not need a scouting video to remember what Tresoldi can do. He hurt them in real time.
Last season, in the Champions League, Tresoldi scored against Barça in a wild 3-3 draw and tormented the Blaugrana back line all night. His movement, his timing in the box, his constant occupation of dangerous spaces – he left a mark.
Club Brugge know exactly what they have. They are tough negotiators, something Barcelona already experienced during the Jesse Bisiwu deal. They will not fold easily, but there is realism in Belgium: if a top-level club arrives with a serious offer, it will be very hard to keep Tresoldi.
His numbers back up the hype. Last season he hit 24 goals in all competitions, driving Brugge’s attack and delivering several standout performances when it mattered most.
The profile Barça are chasing – with one big caveat
On paper, Tresoldi looks like a strong tactical fit for what Barcelona want from their new No. 9.
He links well with teammates, operates comfortably in tight spaces and comes alive against deep defensive blocks – precisely the kind of low-sitting opponents Barça face every week in La Liga. Inside the box, he is a sharp finisher, quick to attack loose balls and clever with his positioning.
There is a flaw, though. Dribbling is not yet a major weapon in his game. He is not the type of forward who will regularly beat two or three men on his own. For a club about to invest heavily, that matters.
And that is the internal debate at Barça: Tresoldi offers enormous upside, but he is not a finished article. At more than €40 million, he would be a calculated risk, not a guaranteed solution.
Álvarez still Plan A
Amid all this work on alternatives, one thing has not changed: Julián Álvarez remains the priority.
Flick and Deco are aligned. The objective is still to land the Argentine and build the attack around his versatility, pressing and penalty-box instinct. Every other name, Tresoldi included, is being treated as part of a Plan B in case the Álvarez operation stalls or collapses.
For now, Barcelona wait. They monitor, they call, they prepare scenarios. The list of options is long, but Tresoldi has moved into the inner circle of possibilities.
The question now is simple and ruthless: with time running out and pressure mounting, will Barça gamble on tomorrow’s potential, or hold out to land the ready-made star they believe Álvarez can be?
