Flick still wants a No. 9 despite Barcelona's 17 goals in four

Barcelona have scored seventeen goals in four LaLiga matches. On Sunday night at Mestalla they scored five of them without conceding. And then Hansi Flick stood in front of the cameras and explained why he still wants a striker.

It is an answer that only sounds strange until you hear the reasoning. Asked directly whether Barcelona's need for a No. 9 might fade if the goals keep arriving at this rate, Flick did not soften the club's position.

What Flick actually said

It doesn't change our thoughts.— Hansi Flick, speaking after Valencia 0-5 Barcelona

He went further when pressed on how a squad scoring at this rate could still be short of a centre-forward.

We need normally a real No.9, this is clear. But we have huge quality in the offence, also in the midfield — everyone can score goals.— Hansi Flick

That is the whole argument in two sentences. The goals are not evidence that the squad is complete. They are evidence that the players Flick already has are covering for something the squad does not yet have.

The 5-0 that framed the question

Barcelona won 5-0 at Valencia on Sunday 6 September 2026 to make it four wins from four in LaLiga. Lamine Yamal scored twice and had a third goal disallowed. Fermin Lopez, Raphinha and Pedri completed the scoring, and the win opened a three-point gap at the top of the table.

The underlying numbers matched the scoreline rather than flattering it. Barcelona finished with 3.04 expected goals from 22 shots and 75 per cent possession. Valencia, set up in a 5-4-1, managed three shots and 0.67 xG.

Why a five-goal win does not close the case

Flick's point is about distribution, not volume. Yamal has now scored in all four league matches. Raphinha has six league goals. The seventeen are real, but they are being produced by wide forwards and midfielders arriving beyond the ball rather than by a centre-forward occupying defenders.

That model works against a side sitting deep with five defenders, as Valencia did. It is harder to sustain against opponents who protect the half-spaces better, and in knockout football where a single clear chance decides a tie. Flick was also asked about the performance itself.

How we play, how we control the game and how use the spaces [is important], but we also have the quality in 1v1 situations and the finishing.— Hansi Flick

Read next to the striker answer, that is a manager praising a method while flagging the one part of it he cannot yet replace. There is a squad-management edge to it too: Raphinha and Pedri were confirmed as Barcelona's senior captains this season, and both are central to how the attack functions. Insisting on a recognised centre-forward is partly an argument about not asking that group to carry the scoring load across a full campaign.

Confirmed: Flick's comments were made after the 5-0 win at Mestalla on 6 September 2026, and Barcelona lead LaLiga with 17 goals from four matches. Not confirmed: any specific signing. Flick named no target and set no timeline, and this desk is not attaching one to his words.