Imagine what the world has come to when a club is not in the right mood despite winning La Liga and Copa del Rey. Success is a hard word to define and when expectations are sky high like what was the case with Barcelona, not winning a treble every season feels like a failed season. Probably, Barcelona’s woes of not being able to complete a treble would not have hurt them so much if arch rivals Real Madrid hadn’t won the Champions League.
From Barcelona’s transfer activity, it’s quite clear that the Catalan giants are looking to leave no stone unturned in their quest to come back with a much stronger bid for a treble. Luis Enrique always had quality at his disposal and has certainly added much more depth to the squad with signings like Samuel Umtiti, Andre Gomes, Denis Suarez and Lucas Digne.
The Camp Nou side are seemingly looking for a striker this summer who would be the final piece of the jigsaw, the final addition to the squad that can make Barcelona the ‘invincible’ side. It looks like the Blaugrana are set to miss on both of their targets Luciano Vietto and Kevin Gameiro. Barcelona’s lengthy and winding search for a new number nine has
Barcelona’s lengthy and winding search for a new number nine has linked them with a move for AC Milan forward Carlos Bacca who is also a target of Arsenal and West Ham, as per reports from The Daily Mail. The 29-year-old moved to AC Milan from Sevilla last summer only and could be offered a La Liga return by none other than the holders.
AFP PHOTO / FILIPPO MONTEFORTE / AFP / FILIPPO MONTEFORTE (Photo credit should read FILIPPO MONTEFORTE/AFP/Getty Images)
The Colombian is a proven goal scorer and has done it in Belgium, Spain and Italy with Club Brugge, Sevilla and AC Milan respectively. Scoring 20 goals in your first season in Serie A is never a bread and butter task but Bacca did it with ease with each and every player around him underperforming. Bacca surely comes with the goals Barcelona are looking for in the absence of any of their reliable triumvirate ‘MSN’.
However, unlike Vietto and Gameiro, Bacca is quite wasteful with the ball in his feet. The Colombian is a poor passer of the ball (his 73% passing accuracy suggests so) and is not the most gifted when it comes to technique. To play for a side like Barcelona, you must be a good passer and Bacca does not fit the bill.
On the other hand, Bacca cannot be deployed anywhere else apart from the focal point of the attack. What Barcelona are looking for is a striker who is complete enough to act as a cover for either of Messi, Neymar and Suarez and Bacca is clearly not the player. It would be a major blunder from Enrique if he believes Bacca is the striker that would make his dream Barcelona side complete.
