Barça Make Contact with Mikautadze as Plan B Takes Shape

Barcelona are beginning to look beyond Julián Álvarez in their search for a striker. According to Gerard Romero, the club have contacted Villarreal forward Georges Mikautadze and already held a conversation with the player. There is no formal offer and no indication of club-to-club negotiations yet. This isn’t a transfer operation — but it is starting to look like more than another name on a rumour list.

A few days earlier, Javi Martínez claimed Mikautadze had given Barça the green light after speaking with Hansi Flick and that Villarreal could be willing to negotiate at around €60–65m. That report came from a less established source and deserved caution. Romero’s information about direct contact between Barcelona and the player now gives the story considerably more weight.

The 25-year-old’s profile also makes some sense. The Athletic previously highlighted Mikautadze’s combination play, movement inside the box and willingness to drop deeper and link attacks rather than simply waiting for chances. The potential price is another matter. If Villarreal really demand something close to €60m, Barça’s alternative to an expensive striker would apparently be… another expensive striker.

Álvarez remains the priority, but Barcelona are clearly checking the emergency exits. For now, they’ve called Mikautadze. Give the Barça transfer cycle a few more days and we’ll probably discover he grew up dreaming of Catalonia and owned Blaugrana pyjamas at the age of six.