Report – Barcelona director always anticipated for Atletico Madrid’s blockade over Julian Alvarez

Report – Barcelona director always anticipated for Atletico Madrid’s blockade over Julian Alvarez FC Barcelona will end the summer transfer window without their main target, Julián Álvarez, but the club can take some comfort from having prepared for that outcome well in advance. As per SPORT’s Carlos Monfort , the Blaugrana director, Deco, had long been aware that Atletico Madrid were unlikely to make the Argentine’s departure easy. While Barcelona continued to pursue Alvarez, the sporting director quietly worked on alternative solutions so that the club would not be left without options at centre-forward. Anthony Gordon was the first major alternative One of the players who particularly caught Deco’s attention was Anthony Gordon. Although the Englishman’s natural position is on the wing, Deco was impressed when analysing several Newcastle United matches from last season in which Gordon operated as a centre-forward. He liked the way Gordon interpreted the position, his movement and, above all, his ability to switch between two roles without losing his effectiveness. Deco subsequently worked on the deal discreetly, contacting the player’s representatives and making several trips to London. Barcelona’s priority target did not arrive. (Photo by Angel Martinez/Getty Images) Deco has long been a major admirer of Gordon’s qualities. He had made the case to people close to him that Gordon could operate either as a winger or centre-forward depending on Flick’s requirements. That versatility was one of the key reasons Barcelona decided to pursue him. The signing therefore gave the club protection against whatever happened with Alvarez. Hamza also emerged as another option Barcelona’s options were strengthened further by the emergence of Hamza Abdelkarim. The young forward showed that he could provide another solution in the central attacking role, allowing the club to reach the final stages of the transfer window without feeling compelled to sign a player simply for the sake of adding another striker. Even if the Alvarez deal failed, Barcelona knew they had alternatives already within the squad. Gabriel Jesus completed Deco’s plan There was still one final piece to add. The arrival of Gabriel Jesus for €10 million became one of the biggest surprises of the final days of the window. Gabriel Jesus arrived late in the window. (Photo courtesy: FC Barcelona official website) The financial risk was considered limited, while the potential reward could be significant if the former Arsenal an manages to rediscover his best form. His arrival finally gave Barcelona another experienced option in a position that, for much of the summer, appeared to depend almost entirely on what happened with Alvarez. Barcelona were prepared for Alvarez staying at Atletico Unless there is an unexpected development in January , Alvarez is likely to remain at Atletico Madrid for another season. But Barcelona had already prepared for that possibility. First came Gordon, a player Deco had always viewed as much more than simply a winger. Then Hamza established himself as another option, before Jesus arrived at the last minute. Barça ultimately failed to sign the striker they had identified as their main target, but Deco had ensured that the club would not be caught out by putting all their eggs in a single basket.