In a recent tweet, journalist Josep Capdevila mentioned that Barcelona have identified Alexis Sanchez as a target for this summer transfer window. It has been revealed that Barca are eyeing the Chilean star as a replacement for Ousmane Dembele this summer.
NOTICIA: Yannick Carrasco y Alexis Sánchez son las dos alternativas a la más que posible marcha de Dembélé.
— Josep Capdevila (@josepcapdevila) July 31, 2023
Sanchez’s Impressive Record In French Football Last Season
Sanchez is currently a free agent but had a decent campaign at Olympique Marseille recently as he put in a run of productive displays for them up top. The 34-year-old participated in 44 matches for the French outfit last season, scoring 18 times and earning three assists in the process across multiple competitions.
The veteran attacker gave a good account of himself in the final third by averaging 1.9 shots, 1.6 key passes and 1.2 dribbles per game in Bundesliga. However, he lacked quality when distributing the ball in the opponent’s half based on his pass completion rate of 75.8% in the German top-flight (stats via whoscored).
As mentioned earlier, Sanchez is a free agent this summer and could be a good, short-term option for Barcelona to consider ahead of the new campaign.
Does Barcelona Boss Xavi Need Sanchez?
Sanchez is a decent dribbler with the ball and has got the vision to orchestrate a few promising chances for his teammates in the final third. He can shoot the ball with accuracy from long range and has still got a lot of goals and assists in him. Sanchez is primarily a centre-forward but can also function as a winger on either flank if told to do so.
However, only time will tell whether the Chile international can maintain his good form in La Liga if Barcelona boss Xavi decides to bring him back to the Nou Camp.
Sanchez will add more goals and creativity to the Catalan club‘s attack. Furthermore, he is a free agent which makes him a great, cost-effective option for Barca to pursue in this off-season.
With all things considered, Xavi can definitely use a player of Sanchez’s experience and skillset as he looks to build a strong squad capable of sustaining another title charge next season. However, at 34, father time is catching up with Sanchez which makes him a risky choice for Barcelona this summer.
