Barcelona director’s Lisbon trip has nothing to do with Luis Suarez or Vangelis Pavlidis – report

Barcelona director’s Lisbon trip has nothing to do with Luis Suarez or Vangelis Pavlidis – report Deco’s unexpected trip to Lisbon set off speculation around Barcelona’s search for a new centre-forward. The Barcelona sporting director was spotted at Terminal 1 before travelling to the Portuguese capital, and with the club still looking to strengthen their attack, it did not take long for names from the Portuguese league to enter the conversation. Luis Suarez and Vangelis Pavlidis were among the forwards linked with Barcelona, but according to Jose Alvarez Haya , the explanation behind Deco’s trip is entirely different. As explained by the journalist, the Barcelona official’s visit to Lisbon has nothing to do with signing a player from the Portuguese league. Rather, both Suarez and Pavlidis are completely ruled out as options for Barcelona, with the club instead continuing to work on other high-level targets for the striker position, such as Lautaro Martinez . Deco’s Lisbon trip sparks Barcelona striker speculation Deco’s appearance at Barcelona airport naturally attracted attention. The sporting director travelled to Lisbon at a time when Barcelona’s search for a new No. 9 remains unresolved.  Deco’s visit to Lisbon has nothing to do with Suarez and Pavlidis. (Photo by Alex Caparros/Getty Images) The club has been assessing different options for weeks as the possibility of signing Julian Alvarez continues to present major difficulties. Initial speculation suggested that Deco could use his time in Lisbon to meet with agents, clubs or representatives connected to potential striker targets.  The identities of the people he was due to meet were not initially known, leaving the door open to several possibilities. On that note, Luis Suarez was one of the names mentioned. The Sporting CP forward had already been linked with Barcelona in recent weeks, although club sources had denied the rumours surrounding the Colombian striker. Furthermore, Pavlidis also entered the discussion. Barcelona are not considering signing Vangelis Pavlidis. (Photo by Carlos Rodrigues/Getty Images) The Benfica forward finished the 2025/26 Primeira Liga campaign as the division’s top scorer, finding the net 22 times in 33 league appearances.  However, his situation would also be difficult, with his club viewing him as a key player and only willing to consider an exceptional offer . With both forwards based in Portugal, Deco’s trip to Lisbon inevitably added fuel to the fire, but the information from Jose Alvarez Haya paints a very different picture. Suarez and Pavlidis are not Barcelona targets According to the journalist, Barcelona’s striker plans do not include Luis Suarez or Vangelis Pavlidis. Rather, Deco’s visit to Lisbon is unrelated to either player or, more broadly, to any potential signing from the Portuguese league, effectively shutting down the speculation surrounding the Sporting CP and Benfica forwards. Sure, Barcelona are working on strengthening the centre-forward position, but the club is looking elsewhere for the solution.