Victor Osimhen Emerges as Barcelona’s Backup Plan as PSG Target Julián Álvarez

Barcelona’s summer transfer planning has been complicated by Paris Saint-Germain’s reported aggressive interest in Julián Álvarez, the 26-year-old forward the Catalan club had identified as their top attacking priority for the upcoming window.

According to reports, the Blaugrana had already initiated contact with Álvarez’s representatives before PSG entered the picture. Atlético Madrid, who signed the 2022 FIFA World Cup winner from Manchester City in August 2024 for an initial fee of €75 million plus €20 million in potential add-ons, are reportedly unwilling to sanction a sale unless presented with an extraordinary financial offer.

PSG’s state-backed financial resources place them in a significantly stronger negotiating position than Barcelona, whose well-documented economic constraints under president Joan Laporta make sustaining a prolonged bidding war against the French club extremely difficult. Should PSG commit fully to the Álvarez pursuit, sources suggest Barcelona’s prospects of completing the deal would diminish considerably.

With that scenario increasingly plausible, Barcelona are reportedly preparing an alternative strategy centred on Super Eagles striker Victor Osimhen. Should the move for Álvarez collapse, the Blaugrana are expected to redirect their efforts toward the 27-year-old Nigerian international as their primary offensive reinforcement.

Osimhen arrives as a credible alternative, having just claimed his second successive Turkish Süper Lig title with Galatasaray. His trophy-winning pedigree also includes spearheading Napoli to the 2022/23 Serie A championship — the club’s first league title in over three decades — cementing his reputation as one of Africa’s most accomplished forwards at the highest level of European football.

However, Galatasaray are not expected to part with the striker on discounted terms. According to reports, the Istanbul club are holding out for a substantial transfer fee, meaning Osimhen does not represent the financially straightforward fallback option Barcelona might require given their fiscal situation.

The development is the latest chapter in a transfer saga that has followed Osimhen since his departure from Napoli. The striker spent the 2024/25 season on loan at Galatasaray before the arrangement was extended, and his performances in Turkey have maintained significant European interest in his services.

For Barcelona, the coming weeks will likely determine whether their summer reinforcement arrives via the more expensive Álvarez route — if they can outmanoeuvre PSG — or through a pivot to Osimhen, a move that carries its own considerable financial demands. Either path requires the club to navigate the tension between their transfer ambitions and the financial framework governing their operations.