Flick puts pressure on Barça over Julián Álvarez: he has already set a deadline

The German coach wants the squad to be almost complete before the team travels to England to continue its preseason preparations.

Hansi Flick has reportedly shared his transfer roadmap with Barça’s sporting department. The German coach believes the club must accelerate its remaining transfer business and wants decisive progress on Julián Álvarez once the striker finishes his World Cup campaign. Time is becoming a key factor.

The coach is determined to avoid seeing the club’s biggest negotiations drag on throughout the summer. His goal is to enter the most important stage of preseason with the squad largely complete and the main signings already integrated. Stability is the priority.

Julián becomes the main target after the World Cup

Inside Barça, there is a belief that the decisive stage of the operation will begin after the tournament concludes. Until then, both the club and the player’s representatives have reportedly chosen to keep a low profile so Julián Álvarez can remain fully focused on international duty. No major steps are expected before then.

Once the World Cup ends, Deco is expected to intensify talks with Atlético Madrid to determine whether negotiations are possible. The Argentine striker remains the club’s top attacking target, while Flick reportedly believes he is the perfect fit for his tactical project. The interest remains unchanged.

July 27 has been marked as a key date

The Barça coach has reportedly identified July 27 as a crucial milestone in the club’s planning. That is the date when the squad is scheduled to travel to England to continue preseason, and Flick wants most transfer business completed before then. Preparation is considered essential.

Having the final squad available by that stage would allow the coaching staff to improve tactical cohesion and help new arrivals settle more quickly. That request also explains why Deco is pushing to resolve the club’s biggest transfer operations as soon as possible. Every day matters.

Barça want to avoid another long transfer saga

At Camp Nou, there is full awareness that signing Julián Álvarez will not be straightforward. Even so, the sporting department does not want negotiations to stretch until the final days of the transfer window. The club shares Flick’s desire to define the core of the squad as early as possible.

The coming weeks could determine whether Barça’s biggest dream of the summer becomes reality. The twist is clear: Flick has already set his deadline, and now all eyes are on whether Barça can deliver Julián Álvarez before preseason enters its decisive stage.

Caution note: At the time of writing, there is no official agreement between Barça, Atlético Madrid, and Julián Álvarez. The reported timeline, transfer plans, and deadline are based on media reports and remain subject to change.

Francisco Calderón