Barcelona’s search for a new No. 9 is running the risk of becoming a one-name obsession.
Julian Alvarez is an obvious attraction and is the priority transfer target for Barcelona this summer.
He is younger, versatile, intense, already adapted to La Liga and admired for his capacity to fit into different tactical systems.
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Atletico Madrid rejected Barcelona’s initial bid for the player, and with him tied down to a contract until 2030, this is a difficult operation for the Catalan club.
If Barca are serious about making an elite striker signing this summer, they have to start looking beyond Alvarez, and Lautaro Martinez should also be part of the conversation.
Lautaro and the penalty-box certainty
The argument in favour of the Inter Milan man starts with the output.
Lautaro has once again delivered as Inter’s attacking spearhead, with the Argentinian No. 9 finishing the Serie A season with 17 goals and six assists in 29 appearances.
He has improved various facets of his game and is at a stage of his career where he is playing his best football.
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That matters for Barcelona because the next No. 9 cannot simply be a talented forward. He has to be a finisher.
A presence. Someone who lives in the box, attacks crosses, pins centre-backs and gives Hansi Flick a fixed point around which the rest of the attack can move.
Alvarez may be the more flexible footballer, but Lautaro is a more natural reference.
Barcelona should not ignore the importance of that. The comparison graphic on DataMB tells a story.
Lautaro outperforms Alvarez in non-penalty goals, non-penalty expected goals, conversion rate, aerial impact and touches in the box.
The Atletico man fights back in true fashion, outperforming his compatriot in creative and duel-based areas, which speaks to his wider influence and quality out of possession.
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The difficulty is Inter, not the footballing fit
The problem, of course, is the deal.
Lautaro Martinez had a great season. (Photo by Marco Luzzani/Getty Images)
Lautaro is not a market opportunity. He is Inter’s captain, their attacking leader, in the prime years of his career and a player under contract until 2029.
That means Barcelona would be entering a negotiation that is bound to be difficult, which is not too dissimilar from Alvarez’s situation at Atletico.
Lautaro is 28, not a long-term project in the same way Alvarez is, but he is not old. He is experienced in European football, used to pressure and can fill the big boots of Robert Lewandowski.
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That said, there is the flip side to consider too. Alvarez is much more suited to the high-pressing system than someone like Lautaro, and this is something that Flick might prioritise.
In the past, there have also been instances where the Serie A star has gone through sustained spells in which he has been unable to score goals consistently, but he has ironed that flaw out of his game in recent seasons.
That is why Barcelona should at least add his name to the board.
Alvarez may be the dream because of what he can become, but in Lautaro, Barcelona can sign a player who is already there, and this is one they should consider.
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