Barcelona have been linked with a move for a striker since January, and with Julián Álvarez reportedly at the top of their shortlist, the summer promises to be an exciting one as fans wait to see how the transfer saga unfolds.
The Atlético Madrid forward was celebrating at the Metropolitano this week after helping knock Barcelona out of a cup competition,one that Lamine Yamal and his teammates had their sights on. Perhaps, though, he knows the story could look very different next season.
The financial side of any deal remains complicated, with Barcelona likely needing to include players as part of the transfer.
With his potential arrival in mind, Everything Barca takes a look at the club’s long line of Argentine strikers:
GOAT - Lionel Messi
What more can be said about the greatest ever to wear a Barcelona shirt, perhaps even the greatest to play the game? Though not a traditional centre-forward, he redefined the role, combining lethal finishing with extraordinary creativity, delivering goals while creating just as many for others.
The Argentine icon graced the pitch 778 times in blaugrana colours, producing numbers to match his genius. In those appearances, he scored 672 goals and provided 269 assists, alongside 48 hat-tricks, remarkable figures that only begin to capture his impact.
Superlatives hardly do justice to the GOAT, especially during his era under Pep Guardiola. With mesmerising dribbling, unrivalled vision, and complete control over matches, he dominated both La Liga and the Champions League like few players ever have.
Good - Diego Maradona
From the greatest to wear a Barcelona shirt to one of the greatest ever to grace a football pitch, Diego Maradona arrived at the club for his first venture into European football. His two years in Catalonia yielded 38 goals in 58 games, a remarkable return that often left opponents so frustrated they resorted to fouling him off the pitch.
He won three trophies during his time in Spain, but the fallout from the dramatic 1984 Copa del Rey final ultimately forced the club to sell him to Napoli, where he became a cult hero. Had it not been for the relentless targeting and hostility he faced, he might have reached the same heights at Barcelona as Messi did in the famous blaugrana colours.
Ok - Javier Saviola
Arriving from River Plate, the same club where Álvarez began, he came with great hype and went on to score important goals in his first two seasons. He possessed serious talent but never managed to show his full potential on a consistent basis.
However, Frank Rijkaard didn’t favour him and sent him out on loan in consecutive seasons, leaving him feeling unwanted at the club and fans wondering what might have been. His relationship with Barcelona supporters ultimately soured when he joined Real Madrid at the end of his contract in 2007.
Bad - Sergio Aguero
The Premier League legend joined Barcelona in 2021 on a free transfer from Manchester City, arriving with high expectations despite ongoing injury concerns. His start was delayed by fitness issues, but he eventually made his debut and scored his only goal for the club in El Clásico against Real Madrid, an instinctive finish that offered a brief glimpse of his quality.
However, his time in Catalonia was tragically short-lived. After experiencing chest discomfort during a match, Agüero was diagnosed with a heart condition that forced him to retire from professional football later that year. His Barcelona career lasted just a handful of appearances, leaving fans to wonder what impact he might have made had circumstances been different.
Ugly - Maxi Lopez
He never lived up to the promise he showed on his Champions League debut, where he scored an equaliser. His only other goal came in the Copa del Rey, and he failed to demonstrate that same potential in La Liga, leading to multiple loan spells and, ultimately, an exit to Italy.
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