Barcelona’s No. 9 Hunt: Nicolo Tresoldi Emerges as Key Target
Barcelona will sign a centre-forward. Inside the club, that is not a debate, it is a deadline.
The conviction at the Ciutat Esportiva remains that Julián Álvarez will eventually land in Barcelona colours, with the Argentine determined to force his way out of Atlético Madrid. But the window clock is ticking, and the sporting department cannot afford to sit and wait for one deal to break. So the shortlist grows, and one name has moved sharply into focus: Nicolo Tresoldi.
Tresoldi, the Brugge breakout who stung Barça
Reports in England, picked up by SPORT, place Tresoldi firmly among the options being tracked by Barcelona. The 21-year-old was the breakout striker in the Belgian league last season and finished as Club Brugge’s top scorer, with 24 goals in all competitions.
He is not just a numbers striker. Tresoldi is already a Germany U-21 international and has drawn serious interest this summer. Premier League clubs have sounded him out, AS Roma have done the same, but Brugge have held their line: more than €40 million or nothing. For now, he stays.
Barcelona, though, have done their homework. The club already hold all the key information on a possible transfer and have opened contact with the player’s camp, stopping short of a formal move. Scouts have been filing detailed reports in recent days, viewing him as one of the most attractive young centre-forwards realistically available on the market.
Hansi Flick knows the profile well from Germany’s youth national teams. The feedback is positive: Tresoldi has grown, adapted, and looks like a forward with the ceiling to become a star at the highest level.
He has already shown Barça a glimpse of that potential. Last season, Tresoldi scored against Barcelona in a chaotic 3-3 Champions League draw, tormenting the Blaugrana back line and leaving a lasting impression on those tasked with planning the club’s future.
A striker built for Barça’s problem games
Tresoldi is not yet the finished article, and that is both the appeal and the risk.
On the pitch, his profile aligns neatly with what Barcelona want from their next No. 9. He links play, combines sharply with teammates and operates comfortably in tight spaces. He thrives against deep defensive blocks, the very scenario that so often suffocates Barça’s attack in La Liga. Inside the box, he is a clean, reliable finisher.
There is a clear weakness: he is not a dribbler who will eliminate defenders on his own. That limits the chaos he can create in wide areas, but it does not diminish his value as a penalty-area striker who understands movement, timing and space.
Club Brugge know exactly what they have. They showed their toughness at the negotiating table during the Jesse Bisiwu operation with Barcelona, and they will not fold easily now. Yet even in Brugge, there is an acceptance that if a top-level club arrives with a serious offer, keeping Tresoldi will be close to impossible.
For Barcelona, that is the calculation. A young, developing striker with a strong fit for their style, but a fee north of €40 million for a player who still has steps to take. Tempting. Risky. Very much on the list.
Álvarez still Plan A, but Plan B is real
Inside the sporting department, the message remains consistent: Julián Álvarez is Plan A. Flick wants him. Deco is working with that target in mind. The club’s planning is built around the idea that the Argentine will lead the line.
Reality, though, demands a safety net. If the Álvarez operation stalls or collapses, Barcelona cannot be left scrambling in the final days of the window. That is why the Catalans are quietly building out Plan B, with Tresoldi one of several names under serious consideration.
For now, Barcelona wait. They push on Álvarez, monitor the market and keep channels open with the camps of alternative forwards. Tresoldi is there, firmly on the radar, the young striker who has already hurt Barça once and could yet be asked to do the same for them.
