Colombian striker Luis Suárez is no longer in Barcelona’s plans to reinforce the center-forward position, after the Catalan club decided against paying the release clause in his contract with Sporting Lisbon.
The Barcelona administration believes that signing the 28-year-old for €80 million represents a major financial risk, while Sporting refuses to offer any discounts and insists on keeping their top scorer for the new season.
Suárez had emerged as the closest alternative in case Barcelona failed to sign Julián Álvarez. However, Atlético Madrid’s insistence on keeping the Argentine striker, combined with Sporting’s strict financial demands, have removed both names from current consideration.
The Portuguese club’s stance is backed by Suárez’s contract, which runs until the summer of 2030 following his arrival from Almería. Officials do not feel compelled to lower the player’s valuation, especially after his impressive performances last season.
The Colombian striker had an outstanding campaign, scoring 28 goals in 32 Portuguese league matches and winning the competition’s Golden Boot. This prompted Barcelona to seriously consider signing him before being deterred by the high asking price.
Barcelona’s attacking crisis is deepening following the departure of Robert Lewandowski and Ferran Torres’ imminent move to Paris Saint-Germain. This leaves Hansi Flick’s squad without a ready out-and-out striker, with the exception of young Egyptian Hamza Abdel Karim.
Flick could temporarily rely on Karim Adeyemi, Anthony Gordon, or Dani Olmo as a false nine. However, this trio excels more on the wings or playing just behind the striker, and they do not possess the profile of a traditional center-forward that the administration is looking for.
This crisis might give Hamza Abdel Karim a bigger opportunity with the first team, especially after he scored two goals against Birmingham during the pre-season. However, Barcelona originally planned for him to continue developing with the reserve team, rather than burdening him with the responsibility of leading the attack alone.
