Barcelona chase experienced attacking trio

giroud

Barcelona have been linked with an eclectic mix of strikers in the January transfer window, as Ernesto Valverde looks to bolster their La Liga challenge.

The Catalan side are in pole position to retain their title, with a five point lead at the top of the table, however they have been linked with moves to add experience to their attack.

La Blaugrana are reportedly interested in a deal for Uruguay international Cristhian Stuani from local rivals Girona, Premier League duo Olivier Giroud and Fernando Llorente.

A move for Stuani looks the most likely of the three, and follows Barcelona’s pattern of signing goal scorers from within in La Liga, to lessen the adaptation period.

However the stumbling blocks towards a move would be Stuani’s age and Girona’s unwillingness to lose their prize asset.

At 32, Stuani would not command a huge fee, despite having 18 months to run on his contract with Girona. Meaning that if Barcelona can persuade the former Middlesbrough man to make the move, Girona are unlikely to be able to stop it.

If is put to Stuani as his last chance at silverware before retirement, then Girona’s position is weakened even further, and their best hope is to press for the best deal possible – with a figure of €15 million reported to be on offer.

Stuani would be used in rotation with Luis Suarez, and his goal record since joining Girona in 2017 has been impressive.

21 La Liga goals last season,was only bested by four other players, as Girona finished 10th in their debut La Liga season, and with 12 in league action in 2018-19, only Suarez and Lionel Messi have scored more.

French international Giroud is also a left field option for Barcelona, after struggling to gain a regular starting role at Chelsea.

However his situation is linked with their attempts to sell or loan Alvaro Morata to Atletico Madrid, and whether or not they can agree a loan deal for Juventus’ Gonzalo Higuain.

Manager Maurizio Sarri will not leave his squad short if those deals do not come to pass, meaning a Giroud exit is still dependent on a number of factors.

Llorente to the Nou Camp is the least likely of all three, with the former Athletic Bilbao  likely to be drafted into the Tottenham line up following an injury to Harry Kane.

How well do you know Spanish football? Want to challenge the best La Liga Fantasy Managers? Play www.liga-fantasy.com now!

To leave a comment, you must be logged into www.eurofantasyleague.com