Reports suggest Barcelona have identified an alternative target to priority signing Julián Alvarez, in the form of Sporting CP’s hitman Luis Suárez.The back-to-back La Liga champions desperately need a center forward addition after moving on from the handsomely paid Robert Lewandowski, with World Cup final match winner Ferran Torres, barring a late U-turn, also heading for the exit door with a one-way ticket to Champions League holders Paris Saint-Germain.Barça have struck a $57.5 million deal with PSG to send Torres to the French capital, leaving new signings Anthony Gordon and Karim Adeyemi—nominally wide players—and teenager Hamza Abdelkarim as the three leading strikers on the depth chart. They simply cannot go into the new season without another fresh face bolstering Hansi Flick’s frontline, and if they finally accept Atlético Madrid’s stubbornness and pivot away from Alvarez, Barcelona may turn to Sporting CP’s Suárez. Barcelona Eye Luis Suarez ... No, Not That OneSuárez was prolific last season. | Gualter Fatia/Getty ImagesThere had previously been reports suggesting that it was Alvarez or bust for Barça this summer, but Torres’ impending move means that’s no longer the case. While they still have an offer on the table for the Argentine, alternatives are now being considered. Fabrizio Romano reported on Friday that Suárez has been added to Barça’s transfer shortlist and the Catalan giants will consider making a move next week, when they’re likely to move on from Alvarez. Suárez successfully replaced Viktor Gyökeres at Sporting CP last season, scoring 33 times in all competitions, including 28 in the Primeira Liga. He’s a key part of their side, so Sporting won’t surrender his services easily. Clubs interested this summer have been told to pay the striker’s €80 million ($92.7 million) release clause, and Barcelona won’t be any different. While Suárez did enjoy the most prolific goalscoring season of his career in 2025–26, the 28-year-old’s reputation took a hit at the World Cup by failing to score in five appearances. He certainly didn’t look like he was among the elite crop of center-forwards on the big stage, and his profligacy contributed to Colombia’s round-of-16 exit.His record in Europe’s top-five leagues is also underwhelming, having enjoyed spells with Granada, Marseille and Almeria. In 107 La Liga and Ligue 1 appearances, Suárez has scored just 26 times—not the kind of return that would cut the mustard at Barça.Where Does Alvarez Stand in All This?Alvarez returned to the training pitch this week. | Dennis Agyeman/Europa Press/Getty ImagesThere hasn’t been all that much change since Alvarez said during the group stages of the World Cup that he wished to "fulfill his dream" by joining Barça, hoping that his current employers would accept a $116 million offer from Catalonia. Alvarez has since reported for the start of his preseason following a post-World Cup break, but wasn’t included on Atléti’s roster for their final outing before the start of their La Liga season.Social media gossip has suggested that an “emotionally devastated” Alvarez will make one more plea to Atléti to sanction a move away, though he has yet to get the ear of the club’s CEO, Miguel Angel Gil Marín, to even arrange a meeting.Add us as a preferred source on GoogleFollow