Barcelona has resolved the jersey number issue for Rodri ahead of his official signing, while the club awaits Julian Alvarez's final decision from Atletico Madrid in a decisive transfer window week.
Barcelona has reached an agreement with Manchester City for the transfer of one of today's best midfielders, Rodri, and the jersey number issue has been settled even before the official contract signing. Rodri wore the No. 16 jersey at Manchester City and for the Spanish national team, a number that was previously held by Fermin Lopez at Barcelona.
According to Klix.ba, Rodri asked Fermin Lopez to give up his "16", which the young player gladly did. Fermin will wear the No. 7 jersey next season, which was previously worn by Ferran Torres. Thus, Barcelona has resolved the number issue for their biggest signing of the summer even before the official signing.
While Rodri's arrival is nearing completion, Barcelona has entered the decisive week of the summer transfer window. The Catalan club awaits the final decision of Argentine striker Julian Alvarez, who wants to leave Atletico Madrid and is the primary target to bolster the attacking line.
Spanish newspaper Marca reports that Barcelona's management has decided to give Alvarez one last chance to resolve his situation with Atletico before turning to available alternatives. The coming days will be crucial for the player's future.
The Catalans are waiting for a meeting between Alvarez and Atletico Madrid's CEO, Miguel Angel Gil Marin, in an attempt to convince the club's management to negotiate a move to Barcelona. Marin previously promised Alvarez that he would allow him to leave in the current transfer window if he expressed a desire for a new experience, and the player aims to activate that promise at the expected meeting.
According to Marca, Barcelona will not wait long. They want the striker issue resolved this week, either by completing Alvarez's transfer or by definitively closing that option and moving to an alternative plan.
If negotiations stall, several options remain to strengthen the attack, with Lautaro Martinez, Mikel Oyarzabal, Luis Suarez, and Viktor Gyokeres standing out the most. The option of relying on a false nine also remains on the table if they fail to bring in a new classic striker.
Barcelona coach Hansi Flick trusts many of his players to fill that position, such as Lamine Yamal, Dani Olmo, Raphinha, Karim Adeyemi, and Anthony Gordon. He is also monitoring the development of young talents who have stood out during preseason, with Egyptian Hamza Abdelkarim particularly notable.
Barcelona is also in negotiations with Joao Cancelo, and according to Goal.com, they are close to finalizing a deal for Rodrigo as well. Although there is no direct Croatian connection in these transfers, the Spanish football scene traditionally attracts great attention from Croatian fans who follow European leagues.
