Barcelona is arguably the only top European club currently without a world-class striker following Robert Lewandowski’s exit and have therefore been linked with just about any player whose job description includes ‘putting the ball in the goal.’ As you might expect, the media picks have been anything from outrageous nonsense to actually making sense.
On a scale of 1-10, I’m rating some of the top options (and some of my own picks) from likely to impossible depending on a variety of factors including
wage demands, transfer fee, likelihood of their club selling and general quality.
Impossible to Very Unlikely (1-10 to 3-10)
Erling Haaland, Harry Kane, Alexander Isak, Hugo Ekitike, Etta Eyong, Mikel Oyarzabal
Manchester City goal machine Erling Haaland is the ultimate dream but he’ll likely cost over €200m, especially due to his ongoing World Cup heroics.
Kane is also another expensive option, especially since he’s the current Ballon d’Or favourite, but looks set to stay at Bayern in any case. He is also just weeks away from his 33rd birthday so this would be another Lewandowski-type short-term signing.
Similarly, Liverpool would at least want to recoup a large part of their investment in Isak or Ekitike which means at least €100m even if the Reds do agree to sell. It’s doubtful either player would want to relocate so soon either, while injuries are a real issue. Isak’s recent history is a real worry and Ekitike is a long-term injury victim after rupturing his Achilles.
Eyong was linked with Barcelona last year but simply hasn’t done enough to convince. He may be talented, but a striker option is needed now and he’s simply not the finished product
Oyarzabal, when asked about the rumours, made it as clear as he could (without being disrespectful) that he’s not interested – Real Sociedad is his life and he wants to stay and do well.
Unlikely but possible (4-10 to 6-10)
Victor Osimhen, Joao Pedro, Hamza Abdelkarim, Oscar Gistau, Maximilian Beier, Serhou Guirassy, no one.
Osimhen is the perfect profile in my opinion but Galatasaray spent €75m on him and his price tag will only have increased. He also seems happy in Türkiye, has no reason to leave, and his wages are likely to be a problem if reports are accurate.
Pedro would be cheaper and on lower wages but Chelsea are reportedly unwilling to negotiate for the Brazil star who only joined the club 12 months ago and had a good first season at Stamford Bridge.
Guirassy is already the wrong side of 30, would be a cheap stop-gap option at best, and doesn’t seem to be what Deco and Co are looking for right now. Beier is super talented but not quite the finished product. He would be a cheap option but has been inconsistent. Unless he improves very rapidly, he’s not quite there yet
There’s an outside chance Hamza or Gistau might burst onto the scene like Marc Guiu did, have a brilliant pre-season and early season, and just become a regular first-teamer. However, that’s a long shot and Barcelona need a more concrete option.
Also, you can’t discount the possibility of no striker signing at all and Barcelona just using Gordon or Ferran Torres. Yet that doesn’t seem likely either, as the board are very keen on a signing and seem to have money to spend.
Outside bets (7-10 to 9-10)
Mika Biereth, Fisnik Asllani, Alexander Sorloth, Dusan Vlahovic, Ante Budimir, Joaquin Panichelli, Brian Brobbey
Biereth seems like an incredible pick-up option or ‘market opportunity’ as Deco calls it but there’s been very little chatter which suggests he’s not on Barca’s radar. Still, he’s young, possesses the perfect profile of a tall target forward, would be cheap and easy to re-sell if the deal doesn’t work out.
Sorloth, Vlahovic and Budimir would all be last-ditch options near deadline day if they’re still available. All three are cheap and Aubameyang-style options for Barca. Budimir has been doing it in La Liga for years and culers know all about Sorloth.
Asllani is unproven at the top level but looks to be one for the future. His social media activity suggests he loves Barcelona but a move to Dortmund appears to be on the cards.
Panichelli tore up Ligue 1 for Strasbourg last season and is another outside bet, while Brobbey fits but his price will likely skyrocket after his goals for the Netherlands at the World Cup.
The top man (9.5-10)
Julian Alvarez
The only reason this isn’t a 10-10 is due to his price, the fact Atletico reportedly want €150 million and have their hearts set on not selling to us. But he’d be a good fit, would score plenty (he bagged enough in that Simeone system, imagine what he could do in Flickball) and has strongly hinted that Barca is his dream move. Really excited to see what he could do here if he does end up joining.
Let us know which striker you would prefer at Barcelona and if there’s anyone I’ve missed in the comments below!
