Barcelona president open about chasing 36 G/A forward seen as Lewandowski’s successor in 2026 | OneFootball

In a fresh update from Carrusel Deportivo, it has been revealed that Barcelona president Joan Laporta is already speaking openly about the club’s intentions to sign Julian Alvarez as the long-term replacement for Robert Lewandowski.

The move, while still a year away, is being internally treated as a key future objective, with the 2026 summer transfer window already marked as a potential turning point.

Despite Lewandowski’s contract running until 2026, the Catalan club is proactively planning for the post-Lewa era.

The Polish veteran has delivered consistently, but age and natural progression mean that Barcelona are now scouting for the next big name to lead the line.

Already a favourite at Barcelona

Alvarez, who scored 29 goals and seven assists in the 2024/25 season, has long been admired by Barcelona’s top hierarchy.

In fact, president Laporta and sporting director Deco are both believed to be strong advocates for the Argentine’s arrival.

Barcelona really admire Julian Alvarez. (Photo by Clive Brunskill/Getty Images)

Internally, Alvarez is viewed as the ideal fit. While financial constraints make any move difficult, the club is said to be exploring creative solutions.

With the deal still a year away, this gives Barcelona enough time to shape the financial structure needed to make the move viable.

Agent open to future talks

Interestingly, Alvarez’s own camp has not ruled anything out. While no move is expected in the immediate window, his agent recently commented,

“The day-to-day is at Atletico. We will see how the negotiation goes. Football changes quickly. There will need to be talks between the clubs, and a deal will have to be made.”

At this stage, no formal negotiations have begun between Barcelona and Atletico Madrid.

Barcelona, for their part, are playing the long game. However, the problem remains that Atletico brought him for €75 million, and his release clause is set at a whopping €500 million.

Yet, there is optimism within Barcelona that a middle ground could be found.