Barcelona hosts Athletic Bilbao.. Laporta: Alvarez or nobody!

Barcelona coach Hansi Flick hinted on the eve of today’s match against Athletic Bilbao that the club could close the summer transfer window without signing a new striker, should efforts to sign Argentine forward Julian Alvarez from Atletico Madrid prove unsuccessful.

The Catalan club continues its pursuit of the Argentine international striker, but Atletico has so far refused to let him go. Alvarez missed his team’s training on Wednesday due to illness.

Spanish media reported that Barcelona president Joan Laporta is sticking to an “Alvarez or no one” approach, while Flick emphasized that the club must also think about the future, expressing satisfaction with the current squad.

Speaking to journalists, the German coach said, “I don’t want to talk about Julian Alvarez; I only want to talk about the club’s situation. We have already made very good deals in the current transfer market.” He added, “Our goal is clear, but ultimately the club must also think about the future, not just the present.”

Barcelona currently has only one clear-cut striker: young Egyptian Hamza Alaaeldin, who made a good impression during the pre-season but has yet to make his official debut for the team.

Flick acknowledged that the team might have to explore different solutions in the striker position, given the ability of Dani Olmo, Ferran Lopez, Gordon, and Ademi to play in advanced roles.

Barcelona hosts Athletic Bilbao in a match expected to feature the debut of new midfielder Rodri in the team’s jersey. Flick confirmed that the former Manchester City player would be in the squad and is likely to come on as a substitute. The German coach expressed enthusiasm at seeing the World Cup-winning Spanish duo of Rodri and Pedri playing together in Barcelona’s midfield.

Meanwhile, Real Betis returned from Valencia’s stadium with their second win of the new La Liga season, securing a 1-0 victory on Tuesday in the second round.

Betis, who finished fifth last season and will thus participate in the Champions League alongside Barcelona, Real Madrid, Villarreal, and Atletico Madrid, owed their three points to young substitute Pablo Garcia (20), who scored the only goal in the 83rd minute following a counter-attack assisted by Fran Garcia.

Betis temporarily moved to the top of the table, level on points with their Andalusian neighbors Sevilla, with six points. In contrast, Valencia suffered their first defeat after drawing in the opening round.