‘Alvarez is in the past’, says Deco as Barcelona embraces Raphinha reinvention

Barcelona sporting director Deco confirmed that the club will not renew its pursuit of Atletico Madrid striker Julian Alvarez. Speaking at the Portugal Football Summit, Deco stated that an offer had been made during the summer transfer window, but Atletico refused to sell the Argentine forward.

Barcelona turned its focus inward following Robert Lewandowski's departure, successfully deploying Raphinha as a central striker under manager Hansi Flick. The Brazilian has scored 14 goals in eight matches across all competitions, while Barcelona also signed Gabriel Jesus as a rotational squad option.