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Hansi Flick hints at 'surprise' striker option amid Barcelona's interest in Atletico Madrid forward Julian Alvarez By James Hilsum React to this story Barcelona manager Hansi Flick teased that there could be an eye-catching inclusion in his team as the reigning champions begin their title defence when the Catalan side face Elche in La Liga on Sunday. Barcelona have lost both Robert Lewandowski and Ferran Torres this summer, while their widely-reported pursuit of Julian Alvarez has reached several stumbling blocks. A report from Mundo Deportivo stated that Atletico had agreed to deal to sell the Argentine to Arsenal, but the forward turned down the move, with Barca still keen to bring the 2022 World Cup winner to Camp Nou. They are still hopeful of getting a transfer completed this summer, but could still re-enter negotiations in January. Karim Adeyemi has arrived from Borussia Dortmund, but the Catalans still look short of a proven out-and-out number nine. "We have many options within the team. Of course, I know who will play. There might be a surprise tomorrow," said the German in his pre-match press conference. "I'm not worried that we haven't signed a No. 9 yet. I don't like to talk about players from other teams. "[Sporting director] Deco and I talk every day. It's all about the team and the club. Only Deco, I, and a few other people know exactly what we want. Deco is doing a fantastic job." Despite their documented struggles to find a like-for-like replacement for Lewandowski, Barca have still managed to pull off several high-profile signings. None more so than the £65 million addition of Spain captain Rodri from Manchester City, who followed Anthony Gordon in moving from the Premier League to La Liga. Joao Cancelo has also rejoined after leaving Al Hilal following two loan spells at the club, while 18-year-old Jesse Bisiwu has been signed with an eye to the future. - Ornstein: Liverpool 'could pivot' from Minteh deal to 'another option' - Mourinho: Playing Mbappe, Vinicius, Bellingham together is 'more difficult' at Madrid - 'We want to do it again' - Odegaard leads Arsenal to perfect start but warns 'we can do even better' Flick believes that the turnover in players should be beneficial in the long-term, adding: "There have been a lot of changes, but sometimes it’s good to change things in the dressing room. "That way, everyone is aware of it. We’ve brought in top-level players, and the quality is higher. In the end, this is a competition, and everyone is competing to play. This makes the players stronger, helps them improve, and makes the team grow. That’s how titles are won. "It's a privilege to be able to train every day with this enormous quality. I told the players that the quality is very good, but tomorrow the important stuff starts. We have to get off to a good start and with a win." Add TNT Sports as a preferred source here to enjoy more content like this. Stream the Premier League, men's and women's FA Cups, UEFA Champions League, UEFA Europa League, UEFA Conference League and more live on TNT Sports and HBO Max.