It’s often tough to replace world-class players. FC Barcelona are no exception and are facing a huge dilemma in finding an apt replacement for an ageing Luis Suarez. The Uruguayan striker turned 32 just after the turn of the year.
In all honesty, age seems to be catching up on the Barcelona number 9. Suarez has been amongst the goals this season as well. However, his physical level seems to be deteriorating. The striker has become slow in his movement, and even appears to be lacking the zeal he had when he first put on the Blaugrana shirt.
FC Barcelona signed Kevin Prince Boateng on loan in January from the Italian side, Sassuolo. However, that does not seem to be a long term replacement as the Ghanaian is 32 himself.
The local press in Spain have reported several targets who could be on Ernesto Valverde’s radar. Antoine Griezmann, Luka Jovic and surprisingly, Marcus Rashford have emerged as potential suitors.
Antoine Griezmann has time and again showed his loyalties to the Wanda Metropolitano faithful, and that move seems far from happening unless Barcelona decides to break the bank on the French World Cup winner. Griezmann is 28 years old and would ideally not even be a direct replacement for Suarez.
Luka Jovic, on the other hand, is a young Serbian striker currently plying his trade with Eintracht Frankfurt on loan from Portuguese side Benfica. The striker is only 21 years of age and has attracted significant attention from his performances in the Bundesliga. Bayern Munich have been heavily associated with the striker, and it will be an exciting battle if Barcelona decides to step in and place a bid formally.
If a report by the Daily Mail is to be believed, Barcelona’s prime summer target is Luka Jovic. To add substance to this claim, Barcelona’s sporting director and ex-footballer, Eric Abidal, was spotted in Portugal watching Serbia take on Portugal for the EURO 2020 qualifier. It is believed that Barcelona’s second option to Luka would be Manchester United’s sensation, Marcus Rashford.
Signing Marcus Rashford would be a massive task for Barcelona for numerous reasons. To start off, Barcelona would have to spend much more on Rashford, who is an established striker in the Premier League, than for Jovic, who is relatively unknown. Secondly, Rashford would not be a comfortable signing for Barcelona and what will further complicate matters is that regular starts in the matchday eleven is far from guaranteed.
On the positives for the Catalans, Rashford’s contract at Old Trafford runs out soon. We would wager on the fact that Manchester United would consider selling the player only if a hefty sum of money is on the table. However, they do run the risk of losing him on a free transfer if they do not tie him up on a new contract soon.
Rashford could occupy any of the three spots in Barcelona’s attack, which is a huge positive for any team. Most importantly, the first choice striker of Manchester United would be a nearly perfect and long term replacement for Luis Suarez.
The dealings of the transfer market now rest with the Barcelona board and its negotiators. It goes without saying that it is extremely vital to sign another striker before the 2019/20 season commences.
