Barcelona face striker dilemma – could they cope without one?

Barcelona are facing one of the biggest squad questions of their summer as the club enters the new season without the established No. 9 who led their attack for the past four years.

Robert Lewandowski has left the club after four seasons at Camp Nou, while Ferran Torres has also departed. Barcelona’s attempt to bring in Atlético Madrid forward Julián Álvarez has stalled, leaving Hansi Flick with a significant tactical problem ahead of the new La Liga campaign.

The Catalan club’s opening league fixture against Elche is now approaching, but the question remains: can Barcelona compete at the highest level without a traditional centre-forward?

Lewandowski leaves a major gap

Lewandowski’s departure is not simply the loss of another squad player.

The Poland international arrived from Bayern Munich in 2022 and quickly became Barcelona’s principal goalscorer. He leaves with 119 goals in 191 appearances for the club.

His ability to occupy central defenders, finish chances inside the penalty area and provide a reliable target in the final third gave Barcelona a clear attacking reference.

Replacing that production is therefore one of the club’s most important tasks of the summer.

Barcelona sporting director Deco has acknowledged that replacing Lewandowski is considerably more difficult than covering the departure of Torres.

Álvarez remains the preferred solution — for now

Barcelona’s most ambitious option has been Julián Álvarez.

The Argentine forward is viewed as a player capable of leading the line while also contributing to Barcelona’s possession-based style.

However, negotiations with Atlético Madrid have become increasingly difficult.

Reports say Barcelona made an offer worth around €100 million, but Atlético rejected the proposal and have shown little willingness to sell their star forward. Barcelona have subsequently paused their pursuit while exploring other possibilities.

With the transfer window closing on September 1, Barcelona still have time to find a solution, but the situation is becoming increasingly urgent.

Could Barcelona play without a traditional No. 9?

The alternative is to change the way the team attacks.

Rather than replacing Lewandowski with another traditional striker, Flick could use a more fluid system built around Barcelona’s wide attackers and attacking midfielders.

Lamine Yamal could potentially operate centrally at times, while Raphinha, Dani Olmo, Fermín López and new attacking additions provide movement around him.

Recent preseason matches have also given opportunities to younger players, including Hamza Abdelkarim, who has impressed with his goalscoring form.

This approach would allow Barcelona to create a more mobile front line rather than depending on one player to occupy the central striker position.

But there is an obvious risk.

The problem with replacing goals by committee

A striker does more than score.

A recognised No. 9 gives a team a focal point when opponents defend deeply. He can hold the ball up, attack crosses, occupy centre-backs and create space for players arriving from midfield.

Barcelona could distribute those responsibilities among several players, but doing so would require the entire attacking system to adapt.

Lewandowski’s departure means Barcelona have lost not only his finishing but also the tactical reference point he provided.

That could become particularly important in Champions League matches, where small attacking details can decide two-legged ties.

Barcelona have attacking talent

The situation is not entirely negative.

Barcelona still possess considerable attacking quality.

Lamine Yamal remains one of the most dangerous young attackers in world football, while Raphinha offers goals and creativity from the flank.

The club has also added attacking options including Karim Adeyemi and Anthony Gordon, giving Flick more pace and versatility in the final third.

The challenge will be finding the right combination.

Barcelona may not necessarily need one player to reproduce every aspect of Lewandowski’s game if the overall attack becomes more unpredictable.

Young striker emerges as an intriguing option

One of the most interesting developments during preseason has been the emergence of young striker Hamza Abdelkarim.

The forward has impressed during Barcelona’s preparation, scoring four goals across three preseason appearances according to recent reports. His physical presence and movement have made him an intriguing candidate for the future.

However, expecting a young player to immediately replace a striker with Lewandowski’s experience would represent a major gamble.

Barcelona could therefore continue searching for an established forward while gradually introducing Abdelkarim into first-team football.

The clock is ticking

Barcelona have until September 1 to resolve the No. 9 situation.

The club’s first choice, Álvarez, remains difficult to sign, while reports suggest Barcelona are examining other possibilities.

The longer the situation continues, the greater the possibility that Flick begins the season with a flexible attacking system rather than a conventional centre-forward.

That may not necessarily be a weakness.

Barcelona have enough technical quality to create chances without relying on one target man. But over an entire season, especially with domestic and European competition, the absence of a reliable central goalscorer could become a major issue.

Can Barça cope?

Barcelona can probably survive without immediately finding another Lewandowski.

Whether they can thrive without a recognised No. 9 is a much harder question.

Flick has already shown a willingness to adapt his tactical approach, and the squad contains enough attacking talent to create several different solutions.

But goals are ultimately difficult to replace.

Lewandowski leaves behind 119 goals and four seasons of experience. Barcelona now have to decide whether those goals should be replaced by another superstar, a collective attacking system, or a combination of younger and established players.

With the new season about to begin, the answer could define Barcelona’s campaign.