FC Barcelona’s pursuit of a new centre-forward has been one of the defining storylines of this summer window, with the club actively planning for life without Robert Lewandowski at the top of the attack at the top of the attack. That process, however, is now carrying a cost: Dusan Vlahovic, a name that had been held in reserve as a secondary option, is running out of patience and is beginning to look elsewhere.
According to SPORT, Vlahovic had been prepared to give the Catalan club time to clarify their attacking plans. That window of patience appears to have closed. The Serbian striker is now ready to resume conversations with other clubs that had previously been put on hold.
The most concrete competing interest comes from Besiktas, who have offered Vlahovic a three-year contract worth €8 million net per season and are now pressing for a decision. Separately, a return to negotiations with Juventus – the club he is currently tied to – has not been completely ruled out. Juventus previously tabled a two-year deal worth €6 million per season, which the striker rejected, though both parties could yet revisit their respective positions.
From Barcelona’s side, the situation has a clear internal logic. Vlahovic was never the first choice to lead the rebuilt attack. Contacts were made with his representatives to understand the financial conditions of a potential deal, and the wage demands were considered expensive, though there was a belief that room for negotiation existed if the Blaugranes decided to move seriously. That moment has not arrived, and it may not arrive in time.
Everything for the Catalans currently pivots on two unresolved questions: whether Julián Álvarez can be secured as the headline signing, and what becomes of Ferran Torres. If Ferran departs and the club still needs additional firepower at nine, Vlahovic’s profile would become more relevant. The difficulty is that the striker cannot be expected to keep his calendar clear while those decisions play out at Camp Nou.
Barcelona’s strategic position is understandable – there is no compelling reason to accelerate a fallback pursuit simply because a contingency target is growing impatient. But the risk of holding too many options in reserve for too long is that the market closes around them. Vlahovic represents a potentially valuable market opportunity, but unless Barcelona’s situation changes soon, he may have already chosen his next destination by the time the club is ready to seriously consider him. Should the Álvarez operation stall and Ferran’s situation remain unresolved, the club may find that a viable and experienced option has already committed elsewhere – leaving them to explore alternatives such as other names on their striker shortlist.