Barcelona closing in on marquee No.9: Laporta’s roadmap from Haaland dream to Vlahovic/Guirassy reality

Barcelona have drawn up a clear, tiered plan to recruit an elite No.9 in 2025, aligning sporting needs under Hansi Flick with presidential priorities. The spectrum runs from a fans’ dream in Erling Haaland, to Joan Laporta’s passion picks Lautaro Martínez or Julián Álvarez, to pragmatic targets Dušan Vlahović or Serhou Guirassy, with Benjamin Šeško framed as a future bet and Harry Kane a plug-and-play guarantee. Club sources indicate groundwork on structure and registration is already being mapped, with a decisive move set for the next window. The goal: a press-ready finisher to supercharge Pedri, Gündoğan and Lamine Yamal.

Following internal meetings after the early-season international break, Barcelona’s technical leadership and the presidency aligned on prioritizing a top-tier center-forward for 2025. Catalan media, including Sport, have outlined a tiered shortlist that mirrors the club’s financial reality and tactical needs under Hansi Flick. The framework distinguishes dream targets from realistic acquisitions and long-term projects, reflecting current market conditions in England, Italy and Germany. Conversations with intermediaries and scenario planning around wage-bill management and registration pathways have intensified as Barça position themselves to strike early in the next window.

The fans' dream signing: Haaland Joan Laporta's passion: Lautaro Martinez or Julián Álvarez The realistic choice: Vlahovic or Guirassy The future: Sesko or Eita Eyoung Guaranteed fit and experience: Harry Kane — @sport

@BarcaUniversal

Impact Analysis

Landing a No.9 of this caliber would reshape Barcelona’s competitive ceiling and attack dynamics immediately. Under Hansi Flick’s high-press 4-2-3-1/4-3-3 hybrid, a vertical runner who finishes early and presses on cue is the missing puzzle piece to maximize Lamine Yamal’s gravity, Raphinha’s width and Pedri’s final-third timing. A “dream” like Haaland would be transformative but carries astronomical costs and release-clause complexity. More attainable is the “realistic” tier: Dušan Vlahović brings penalty-box craft and set-piece threat, while Serhou Guirassy offers ruthless movement, efficient finishing and Bundesliga-proven pressing volumes at a comparatively palatable fee.

Financially, Barça can stage the operation via amortized fees, performance add-ons and a wage architecture that rewards output. Registration is solvable with planned exits and salary optimization already underway for 2025. On the pitch, an instant-impact profile reduces load on Robert Lewandowski, allows managed rotation and restores aerial and transitional bite. In European competition, this striker would lift shot quality (xG/shot) and improve late-game conversion—two chronic gaps in recent seasons. Net-net, the signing is both a sporting accelerator and a brand catalyst, aligning with Laporta’s vision of a headline acquisition without jeopardizing medium-term stability.

Reaction

Fan chatter reflects a split between ambition and pragmatism. A vocal segment insists Julián Álvarez is the true “dream” fit—pressing machine, fluid with back-to-goal, and synergistic with Barça’s wingers—while others argue Guirassy is the most attainable killer in the box. There’s skepticism about budget, with some fans bluntly noting registration bottlenecks and inflated fees for Lautaro Martínez or Álvarez. Kane is respected as a guaranteed fit, but age and cost temper enthusiasm. Vlahović draws mixed reviews: admired for his penalty-area instincts, questioned for build-up fluency.

There’s outright rejection of certain names—one fan dismisses a Sesko move, others doubt speculative “future” profiles—while a few propose creative multi-position deals (including free-agent swings and wage reshuffles) to make the numbers work. The overarching mood: Barça must act decisively, avoid overpaying for romance, and secure a striker who can press and finish from day one. Amid the noise, the consensus foundation is clear—clinical finishing, defensive work-rate, and tactical elasticity are non-negotiable for the next No.9 at Montjuïc.

Social reactions

Halaand o me quedo con ferran

IMPERATOR HADRIANVS (@IHADRIANVS)

Joan Is Totally Right 🇦🇷

TIRAMISU (INACTIVE) (@desiculerr)

Fans dream is alvarez too

TIRAMISU (INACTIVE) (@desiculerr)

Prediction

Short term, expect Barcelona to prioritize the “realistic” lane. Guirassy’s clause-driven affordability last summer is gone, but his total package—finishing reliability, smart movement, and strong availability—keeps him in the front row if the fee structure remains reasonable. Vlahović is the alternative with higher upside and resale value, contingent on Juventus’ posture and the player’s wage alignment. Medium term, Barça will keep Álvarez warm; if Manchester City recalibrate their forward rotation, a structured loan-with-obligation or a premium permanent deal could materialize, especially with player appetite for a central role.

Kane remains a plug-and-play wildcard whose tactical fit is immaculate, but timing and cost make it an opportunistic, not primary, path. Šeško profiles as a long-horizon investment if a controlled-price window opens at Leipzig. The Haaland clause saga is likely to linger without concrete movement this year. Most probable scenario: Barça close a high-efficiency finisher who can press immediately, with add-ons and a manageable wage tier, and keep one “galáctico” option simmering for 2026.

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Conclusion

Barcelona’s striker playbook is finally coherent: stretch for the extraordinary only if economics align, otherwise lock in the elite pragmatist who elevates chance quality and the press from day one. In that light, Guirassy and Vlahović headline the present tense, with Álvarez as the dream-meets-reality hinge should circumstances shift in Manchester. Kane is the impeccable football case, but the financial calculus must be perfect. Šeško remains a future-proof card. The club’s preparation—salary optimization, exit planning, and early groundwork with intermediaries—points to a decisive 2025 window.

Crucially, the target profile is crystal clear: ruthless in the box, tactically disciplined in the press, and comfortable linking with Pedri and Lamine Yamal. Nail that, and Barcelona’s attack instantly graduates from promising to inevitable. The feeling around the club is optimistic, almost inevitable: the right No.9 is coming, and when he does, the finishing and pressing gaps that have limited ceilings in Europe will finally close.