Barcelona may not sign a striker this summer window.
Main target Julian Alvarez is currently out of reach and has indeed apologised to his Atletico Madrid teammates for publicly expressing a desire to leave.
There has been little sign of a move for an alternative, and the window closes in two weeks.
How is Hansi Flick preparing for eventualities? Fulltime Herald has discussed how the team could set up in the absence of an out-and-out striker.
One option is to use Lamine Yamal centrally in a false-nine role, and indeed Yamal was used in the position during a training-ground match at the Ciutat Esportiva Joan Gamper this week.
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The 19-year-old has established himself primarily on the right wing, but he still views himself as a player who could eventually move into a central role, similar to Lionel Messi in 2009 under Pep Guardiola.
Flick has not particularly been keen on the idea but given Barcelona’s shortage of recognised central strikers, he appears to have softened his stance. The training exercise offered evidence that the idea is at least being considered in practice.
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Yamal returned to training on Wednesday after his post-World Cup holiday and could feature in Barcelona’s friendly against Basel. His role on the pitch would provide an early indication of whether Flick intends to continue testing him through the middle.
Barcelona have other options for the position. Anthony Gordon and Karim Adeyemi have both played centrally during their careers and are also being considered as alternatives despite their preference for operating from the wings.
Gordon and Adeyemi have had more time to work under Flick this summer, having returned to training earlier than Yamal.
However, it is understood that Flick’s preference would still be for Barcelona to sign an established centre-forward. Perhaps a move could still be made for an alternative in the last few days of the window.
Until the club can do that, Flick will continue to assess the attacking players already available to him.
