Barcelona’s search for a new No. 9 is still moving, but the priority appears to have shifted. Lautaro Martinez is now the name at the front of the queue, even as Viktor Gyokeres is being reported as offering himself to the club daily.
That is the picture described by Victor Navarro, whose report on Cope suggests Barcelona’s striker planning remains active as Deco continues working to find a replacement for Robert Lewandowski before the transfer window closes. It is a reminder that, even with one target emerging as the main one, the club are still weighing up options.
Barcelona’s priority is clear
The most important detail is that Lautaro Martinez has emerged again as Barcelona’s priority target. That alone tells you where the club’s thinking has gone after a summer in which several names have featured prominently.
The report also says the pursuit of Julian Alvarez from Atletico Madrid appears to be fizzling out in 2026, which helps explain why Barcelona are still looking for alternatives. In that sense, the striker search is less about a single deal and more about finding a solution that fits both timing and budget.
For Barcelona, this is not a luxury signing. It is a squad need. The club still want a replacement for Robert Lewandowski, and Deco has already made clear that work is ongoing before the window shuts.
Gyokeres remains in the conversation
Gyokeres is not being presented as the leading candidate, but he is still firmly in the picture. Navarro said the striker is “offering himself to Barcelona daily”, which underlines how strongly the player’s camp is pushing the possibility of a move.
That follows a summer in which Gyokeres has been repeatedly linked with different clubs, often alongside talk of a move to Atletico with Alvarez going the other way. Barcelona have not built their plan around that route, but they have not ignored him either.
The report also makes clear that Nicolo Tresoldi is “very, very much liked” at Barcelona and is being tracked as an option. Diario AS features prominently in the broader discussion around the club’s striker search, which shows this story is still developing rather than settled.
What happens next?
For now, the key question is whether Barcelona can turn their striker search into a decisive move before the deadline. Lautaro Martinez looks like the main target, Gyokeres remains around the edge of the picture, and Tresoldi is another name being monitored.
That means the club still have choices to make, but the direction is becoming clearer. Barcelona want a new forward, and the next step will show whether they can land their preferred solution or end up taking a different route altogether.
