Barcelona have received a positive indication in their search for a new striker, with Villarreal forward Ayoze Perez reportedly willing to pursue a move to Camp Nou this summer.
The possibility of signing Argentina international Julian Alvarez appears to have been put on hold, at least for now, after Atletico de Madrid made it clear they do not want to sell one of their most important players.
According to journalist David Sanchez, speaking on Radio MARCA, Barcelona have been working privately on an alternative plan after concluding that a deal for the Atletico de Madrid striker is not currently realistic.
Atletico are understood to be firmly opposed to letting Alvarez leave. The club view him as one of the best players in their squad, if not the best, leaving Barcelona sporting director Deco to explore more achievable options.
Barcelona manager Hansi Flick has made his recruitment priorities clear to the club’s leadership. He wants a new recognised number nine to complete his attacking structure and believes the team needs a clinical striker who can offer a different dimension in the final third and provide a regular source of goals.
That requirement has become particularly significant as Barcelona prepare for a campaign in which they hope to compete strongly for every major trophy.
The club’s difficulty is that their leading targets are high-profile players whose current teams have little interest in selling them. With the transfer window approaching its close, the range of realistic choices available to Barcelona president Joan Laporta and his administration has narrowed considerably.
Perez has now emerged as an unexpected but attractive alternative, Sanchez reported. The Spain international is said to be highly rated by Flick, who knows his qualities well and believes he could adapt quickly to Barcelona’s style of play.
The 32-year-old offers energy, extensive experience at the highest level and the ability to operate in several attacking roles. He can play as a central striker but is also capable of featuring in other forward positions, giving Flick tactical flexibility.
Perez is under contract at Villarreal until 2028. The club, known as the Yellow Submarine, would demand a significant fee before agreeing to his departure, although his contractual situation is not considered an insurmountable obstacle to a transfer.
His release clause is reportedly worth about 30m euros. That figure could be negotiated down if Barcelona and Villarreal enter direct talks over a potential move.
Sanchez’s information also indicates that Perez himself is fully open to joining Barcelona. Should the Catalan club make a formal approach and contact Villarreal, the forward would reportedly do everything possible to make the transfer happen and fulfil his ambition of wearing the Barcelona shirt this summer.
For now, Alvarez remains the unattainable first choice, but Atletico’s stance has encouraged Barcelona to accelerate their contingency planning. Perez’s willingness to consider the move gives the club a potentially workable route to securing the striker Flick has requested.
