Hansi Flick identifies five alternatives to solve the problem of the Barcelona striker’s absence
Barcelona finds itself in an unusual situation ahead of the new season.
Following the departure of Robert Lewandowski and Ferran Torres, Hansi Flick currently does not have any senior striker in his first-team squad.
The Pole left at the end of last season when his contract expired, while Ferran asked to leave immediately after Paris Saint-Germain called.
The Spaniard was unveiled as a new player at Paris Saint-Germain earlier today, and has officially left Barcelona Without strikers in the squad ahead of the new season.
according to Sports worldAtletico Madrid striker Julian Alvarez remains Barcelona’s main target in the market.
However, until this process occurs, if it does, Flick has several internal options to rely on.
Hamza Abdel Karim, the only natural No. 9
Hamza Abdel Karim is the only currently recognized striker to feature in the first team.
The 18-year-old has been given his pre-season chance after progressing with Juvenil A and taking part in the World Cup. He then made his case by scoring twice in the friendly match against Birmingham City.
How Barcelona finish building their squad will likely determine whether Hamza will remain in Flick’s team or continue his development elsewhere within the club.
Less traditional solutions
Beyond the youngster, Barcelona will have to turn towards less traditional solutions.
Dani Olmo has previously served as a false nine, while Lamin Yamal has been increasingly tested in the central regions.
Flick revealed during pre-season that the 19-year-old is capable of adapting to the position, and Lamine later played as a dummy player during training matches.
Ibrima Tounkara and Shane Kluivert were also used as dummy options, but the latter has now returned to Barcelona Athletic.
Meanwhile, the 16-year-old He continues to remain in the first team It can be experienced as a false nine at times.
Gordon and Adeyemi offer different solutions
New signings Anthony Gordon and Karim Adeyemi provide Flick with two more possibilities.
The Barcelona coach has publicly highlighted the versatility of the summer additions, explaining that they can operate on either wing or through the middle.
Gordon already has experience playing centrally from his days at Newcastle. His speed could give Barcelona a completely different kind of threat in the ninth position, especially when Flick wants his team to attack space attacking rather than playing with a traditional reference point.
Likewise, Adeyemi is comfortable moving across the forward line and has previously played in that position, although he was not a natural player there.
Barcelona has options but still needs a striker
Flick’s flexibility means Barcelona are not completely helpless while waiting for the new No.9.
Lamin, Olmo, Gordon and Adeyemi can all operate centrally depending on the opponent and type of game.
In fact, playing without a consistent striker can sometimes make the attack really fluid Blaugrana Attack is more difficult to defend.
However, these are alternatives, and the club needs to understand the meaning of that mark. They can do their job there, but none of these players can be confused with their solutions.
The Lamine’s biggest influence currently comes from the freedom to be creative rather than having the responsibilities of leading the line every week.
Gordon and Adeyemi also offer more value from wider areas. That’s why the pursuit of Alvarez remains important.
Barcelona needs to sign a new number 9 between now and the end of the summer. Whether it’s Alvarez or someone else depends on Atletico Madrid’s situation in the coming weeks.
