Barcelona aims to start their quest for a third consecutive La Liga title with a victory against Athletic Club on Wednesday at Camp Nou. The Catalan giants, who have secured the last two league championships, opened their current season with a win, contrasting with rivals Real Madrid's struggles over the past two seasons.

Their opponents from Bilbao, however, are not expected to be an easy fixture, especially as Barcelona's pursuit of a new striker intensifies in the transfer market. All eyes are on whether the club can secure a significant signing before the window closes.

Barcelona's head coach, Hansi Flick, indicated on Wednesday that the club might conclude the summer transfer window without signing a new striker if their bid for Argentinian star Julian Alvarez from Atletico Madrid proves unsuccessful. The Spanish champions remain keen on Alvarez, but Atletico has so far refused to sell the 26-year-old forward, who was absent from training on Wednesday due to illness.

Reports suggest Barcelona president Joan Laporta is prioritizing Alvarez, stating it's "Alvarez or nobody." Flick expressed confidence in his current squad, emphasizing the club's need to consider future planning alongside immediate needs. "Our goal is clear, but in the end also the club has to think about the future. Not only the present now," Flick told reporters.

The pursuit of Alvarez has been ongoing since July, when Laporta confirmed Barcelona had made a bid for the Atletico forward. Despite Atletico's stance that Alvarez was not for sale, Barcelona has kept their offer on the table. Laporta reiterated Barcelona's hope that Atletico would reconsider, noting that the player himself appears eager to join Barcelona.

Alvarez was notably jeered by his own Atletico fans during their recent 2-2 draw against Villarreal, a situation that may influence future decisions. Laporta stated, "It seems that the player wants to come to Barca, and therefore we continue to hold on to our hope, our intention – always with the utmost respect for Atletico Madrid – of being able to sign the player."

Flick also acknowledged the club's transfer strategy, highlighting the quality of existing signings while managing expectations regarding further acquisitions. "I don’t want to speak about Julian. I only want to (speak) about the situation of the club. We made some really good, good transfers now in this market," he said.

Despite the focus on the potential transfer, Barcelona will need to concentrate on securing three points against Athletic Club. The match is scheduled for August 27 at 9pm local time (19:00 GMT), with Al Jazeera Sport providing live text commentary starting from 16:00 GMT.