Barcelona's Pursuit of No.9: Vangelis Pavlidis Emerges as Alternative
Barcelona’s hunt for a No.9 has a clear headline act. But the supporting cast is getting louder.
According to Spanish outlet AS, Benfica striker Vangelis Pavlidis has moved near the top of Barcelona’s contingency list if their push for first-choice target Julian Alvarez collapses.
Barca hit a wall with Alvarez
Barcelona want Alvarez. Alvarez wants Barcelona. That much is clear.
The Catalan club have made the Argentina international their priority as they search for a long-term successor to Robert Lewandowski, who has departed for Chicago Fire. Alvarez, currently at Atletico Madrid, is understood to be open to the move, drawn by the chance to lead the line at Camp Nou.
There is a problem. Atletico are not playing along.
AS report that Atleti have already rejected a Barcelona bid worth €100 million and are not considering a sale. The 26-year-old is tied to a contract in Madrid until 2030, and the Rojiblancos are said to be furious with Barca’s approach, to the point of allegedly filing a complaint to FIFA over what they view as improper conduct.
So Barcelona wait. But they cannot wait forever.
If no breakthrough arrives in the coming weeks, Deco and his recruitment team will have to pivot. That is where Pavlidis enters the frame.
Pavlidis, the late-blooming alternative
On paper, Pavlidis looks like a classic “Plan B”. In reality, his numbers scream something very different.
The Greece international joined Benfica from AZ Alkmaar in 2024 and has simply not stopped scoring. Last season he delivered 30 goals and six assists in 53 appearances across all competitions, a return that inevitably drags a player into the orbit of Europe’s elite.
One particular night will not have been forgotten in Barcelona.
In the Champions League league phase, Pavlidis tore into Barca’s defence with a first-half hat-trick inside 30 minutes in a wild 5-4 win for the Catalans over Benfica. Barcelona escaped with the points. They did not escape without a reminder of how ruthless the 25-year-old can be.
His latest statement came on Thursday: four goals in a 5-0 demolition of St. Gallen in the second leg of the second round of Europa League qualifying. Benfica had trailed 2-1 from the first leg in Switzerland; Pavlidis simply blew the tie apart, scoring the first four and dragging the Portuguese side into the third qualifying round, where Heart of Midlothian now await.
Strikers do not speak much louder than that.
From Bochum frustration to Benfica spearhead
Pavlidis’ path to this point has been anything but straightforward.
At 16, he left Greece to chase the Bundesliga dream, joining the youth ranks of VfL Bochum. The breakthrough never came. Instead of first-team minutes, he got loan spells: first to Borussia Dortmund II, then to Willem II in the Netherlands.
It was in the Eredivisie that his career finally caught fire. Willem II made the move permanent, and Pavlidis began to show the penalty-box instincts and consistency that bigger clubs crave. AZ Alkmaar took the next step, paying a modest €2.5 million in 2021 for a striker who would soon look like a bargain.
From there, the climb accelerated. Goals in Alkmaar, a move to Benfica, then more goals in Lisbon and on the European stage. The teenager who could not crack Bochum’s first team is now being seriously weighed up as a potential Barcelona No.9.
Benfica won’t let go easily
There is, however, a familiar obstacle: contract and conviction.
AS report that even if Barcelona decide to move decisively for Pavlidis, prising him away from Benfica will be complicated. The forward is under contract until 2029, and there is little enthusiasm in Lisbon for a sale.
New coach Marco Silva, who took over this summer from Jose Mourinho (now at Real Madrid), views Pavlidis as central to his plans. The Greek’s four-goal show against St. Gallen only underlined that belief. Benfica are building around him, not preparing to cash in.
Barcelona know this story well. A coveted striker, a long contract, a club determined to resist. Deco’s shortlist exists for a reason.
For now, Alvarez remains the dream. Pavlidis is the realistic, rising alternative. The question is simple: how long can Barca afford to chase the dream before they move for the man who keeps turning decisive nights into his own personal showcase?
