In a recent report, El Nacional has mentioned that Barcelona have identified Ajax marksman Sebastien Haller as a target. It is understood that the Catalan giants could move in for the ex-West Ham United striker as they look to strengthen their attack next year.
Haller’s Incredible Numbers At The Johan Cruijff Arena
Haller is having the best campaign of his playing career as he has produced several match-winning displays while acting as the focal point of Ajax’s attack. The 27-year-old has banged in 20 goals and provided six assists in 23 matches for the Dutch club this season across various competitions.
The France-born talent has proven himself to be an unforgiving finisher in the final third and deserves credit for averaging 3.4 shots, 1.5 key passes and 0.6 dribbles per game in the Dutch Eredivisie and the UEFA Champions League. However, he needs to work on improving his link-up play after making 73.8% of his attempted passes in both those competitions (stats via whoscored).
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What Will Haller Add To Barcelona Boss Xavi’s Team?
Haller can use his powerful 1.90m to dominate the aerial battle with the opposition and has transformed himself into a deadly finisher in front of the opposition goal. He has also found ways to create some meaningful openings for his teammates in the attacking end of the field.
The eight-time Ivory Coast international is proving himself to be an ideal target man for Ajax following a disappointing spell with West Ham in English football. However, as mentioned earlier, he has to figure out a way to improve his passing accuracy if he wants to adjust seamlessly to Barcelona‘s brand of football.
Currently, Haller is playing at the top of his game, so he is well-equipped to make an instant impact at the Nou Camp if Xavi can devise a way to acquire the striker’s services next year.
We can expect the Ajax star to add a lot of goals and physicality to Barca‘s attacking department. At 27, Haller is enjoying the peak years of his career which makes him a good choice for the Catalan giants to pursue when the transfer window commences in January or at the end of this season.
