Football journalist and author Guillem Balagué provides his expert insight on Barcelona's summer striker overhaul including scoops on the future of Robert Lewandowski and Marcus Rashford.
Robert Lewandowski: this is the end
Robert Lewandowski will leave Barcelona when his contract expires this summer. That much is now clear. The relationship between the Polish striker and manager Hansi Flick has deteriorated significantly, and Lewandowski himself has shifted focus towards other options.
The numbers tell the story. In his first season at the club, 2022-23, he scored 33 goals and looked like one of the best in the world. The following year he dropped to 26, and there were already whispers about a possible exit. Then came Flick — and Lewandowski responded emphatically, scoring 42 goals last season to silence the doubters. But this campaign has been a steep decline. With six games remaining, he has only 17 goals to his name.
At 38 in August, there will be no shortage of suitors — but Barcelona are clear: they need a striker with a higher ceiling, and they need to find one this summer.
Marcus Rashford: performed well, but may still be sold… or will he?
Marcus Rashford is the more complex case. His statistics at Barcelona have been impressive — his goal and assist contributions per minute rank are the best of any forward in the top four teams of La Liga this season. That is all the more notable given he arrived without a pre-season, made his debut against Mallorca without any training time with the squad, and has had to integrate into a team that was already formed.
And yet, Barcelona's thinking is shifting. The club's preference is to sign two new attackers this summer, which might push Rashford out the door. The 28-year-old English forward — historically a difficult profile for La Liga, where British players have not always adapted — has defied the sceptics. At around 30 million euros, some people at the club believe that money could be better spent elsewhere.
But the position about his future is not unanimous inside the camp, and the one with the final say is Hansi Flick. He likes the player hugely, and the context is important.
Barcelona's attack has seven players competing for three positions. Lamine Yamal is the only one who has played over 3,600 minutes plus this season. The rest are clustered around the 2,300-minute mark, and in that bracket Rashford is the one who has impressed the most.
Barcelona originally targeted Luis Díaz, who they could not afford, and then Nico Williams before the Rashford option materialised. It has worked out. But the club's ideal profile remains a direct, aggressive wide forward in the mould of Raphinha or Lamine Yamal — someone who presses hard, and links the play. Rashford brings many things, but that relentless physical aggression is not one of them.
Instead he has been added a lot regularly at a very high level, and his entourage is convinced Barcelona would finally find a way to keep him.
No matter what stories come out in the press (often linked to what the club wants out there, but not always related to the final decision), that one is not sorted yet.
The targets: Julián Álvarez is the priority — at a price
Jorge Mendes has offered Bernardo Silva to the club. Barcelona see midfield as an area of overbooking rather than need. The Portuguese international is unlikely to be a priority. They need forwards.
Barcelona's primary target this summer is Julián Álvarez. The Argentine, currently at Atlético de Madrid, is the name at the top of the club's wish list. But Atlético are expected to demand around 200 million euros — a fee that would stretch Barcelona's finances to the absolute limit, and perhaps beyond.
Here is the complication: almost nobody genuinely believes Barcelona can pay 100 million or more for any single player, particularly given the financial fair play restrictions that continue to limit their spending. The rule, under which Barcelona cannot freely reinvest everything they bring in, has shaped their transfer strategy for years.
If the Julian Álvarez deal does not materialise — or is structured in a way that frees up budget — Barcelona say they would look to sign two strikers instead of one. Ferran Torres is currently performing well and remains in contention, though he is not untouchable. The Swedish winger Roony Bardhji could also be sold depending on offers.
The squad depth is decent, but has let them down this season when injuries hit them. There is also a need for a recognised, reliable centre-forward who can carry a UEFA Champions League campaign.
The decisions taken this summer — on Lewandowski's replacement, on Rashford's future, on whether Álvarez is achievable — will define whether Flick's Barcelona can make the team genuine European favourites, and take the next step to win the coveted UEFA Champions League.
