With a few months until the January transfer window opens for business, teams across Europe need to make do with the players they have at least until the turn of the year, if not until June 2026.
Unless there's a real and obvious need to strengthen in certain positions, then it's generally the summer window when most elite clubs do the majority of their business in any event.
Next summer could be a busy one for Barcelona
In Barcelona's case, next summer could be a busy one for a variety of reasons.
For example, Marcus Rashford's loan concludes at the end of 2025/26 and if the club haven't made a decision on his future by then, they will need to do so.
Perhaps the club should already be focusing their attention on who they want to replace Robert Lewandowski as a matter of some urgency.
The Polish international has been brilliant for the Blaugranes, and in the 155 games that he's played for the club, 139 of which have been as a starter, he's scored 105 goals and provided 20 assists.
Not bad for a 37-year-old.
Age catching up with Lewandowski
Age may not have wearied him in the goalscoring sense, but it has in almost every other aspect. It's rare to see the player carve out a chance for himself by beating a couple of players, for instance.
If you want a striker who can be in the right place at the right time and who knows where the goal is, then he's your man, even if he will be 38 by the start of next season.
For Barcelona to genuinely be challenging for all of the major honours again in the future, however, they need to be looking for something more.
More than a player that only had four touches of the ball against Paris Saint-Germain - one of which saw him lose possession - after coming on with 20 minutes to play.
Recent reports suggesting that Atletico Madrid's Julian Alvarez could be Lewandowski's replacement are gathering pace, though the player himself has tried to diffuse the situation, particularly in light of his two-goal salvo against Real Madrid, his hat-trick against Rayo Vallecano and one more vs Eintracht Frankfurt in Atleti's last three games.
Alvarez plays down Barca links
A volley, a panenka penalty, a left-foot screamer and a direct free-kick were all on show in those games, proving that the Argentine can score every type of goal when the game calls for it.
An xG of 14.35 last season in LaLiga was the best return of his career too, showing a marked improvement on the 13.13 from 2023/24.
"Look, I'm very calm about it all," he was quoted as saying. "People always talk. Last year, there was a lot of talk as well, but the season is just starting and my focus is on getting better every day, doing my best for the club, helping my teammates and winning here.
"That's all I'm thinking about. What people say on social media is irrelevant."
It's simple enough to understand why Barca would be interested, of course.
Argentine fits the mould
Alvarez will turn 26 years of age in the new year and is approaching the supposed peak years of his football career.
He would also fit the mould of the diminutive front man that the club have traditionally gone for; it's not a coincidence that during their recent golden years of 2008-2011, the most successful central strikers were the likes of Samuel Eto'o, Pedro and David Villa, rather than a big man in Zlatan.
Being an Argentine won't do him any harm either, as Lionel Messi will undoubtedly help sell the club to him.
It's his numbers as much as his movement, appreciation of the wider picture during a game, skillset and work rate that denote his suitability to the Catalan giants, though.
Given that the expectation is that Alvarez will only get better, and in a team such as Barcelona, where the manner in which they play will be more conducive to individual success for the striker, his 78 goals and 30 assists in the same time frame as Lewandowski has been at Barca is notable.
Had Erling Haaland not locked up the centre-forward position at Man City, it's arguable Alvarez would've stayed in the Premier League, but as one door closed, opportunity knocked elsewhere.
All-round excellence
His passing accuracy has rarely dropped below 80% in the past few seasons, which is a sensational showing from a striker, not to mention the tenacity with which Alvarez goes hunting for both possession and chances.
On no less than 408 occasions over the past four campaigns, has he won possession back for his teams, whilst 91 successful tackles from 140 attempted underscore the all-round nature of his game.
Thirty assists can't be sniffed at either, and in a team such as Barcelona that offer up multiple opportunities to score per game, the likelihood of him either being on the scoresheet himself or ramping up his assist tally is high.
For any number of reasons, Alvarez is therefore likely to fit hand in glove at the new Camp Nou, with the only question mark being whether Barca's continuing financial difficulties scupper any attempt to make him the centrepiece of their attack.
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