3 long-term replacements for Luis Suarez at Barcelona
With Luis Suarez turning 32 years o last week, FC Barcelona will be looking in the market to add a permanent long term replacement for the in-form Uruguayan. Suarez joined the Catalan side back in 2014 from Liverpool and has since netted 168 goals for them in 226 appearances.
But with Suarez growing old day by day, Barcelona should be looking in the market at a perfect young replacement who can fit into the starting lineup and score at the same frequency as the Uruguayan does.
Here are three top strikers who can replace Suarez at Barcelona.
#3 Mauro Icardi
The most sought after name in European football is probably Inter’s Mauro Icardi. Lionel Messi’s fellow Argentine is one of the best and most consistent strikers in Europe. The 25-year-old has scored 121 goals in 207 appearances for Inter since joining the club back in 2013.
He has won the golden boot in Serie A twice in his career, both with Inter. In the 2017-18 season, he was named as the footballer of the year in the Serie A for his consistent performances. This season, he has scored nine goals in 18 appearances in the Serie A.
He is the definition of a perfect striker, a prolific finisher and a leader on the pitch. He has attracted interests from all over Europe throughout the years but has always pledged his loyalty to Inter. He can move into this Barcelona team and score goals even more consistently than Suarez himself.
It would be a comeback to Barcelona since he was part of the youth system prior to his move to Italy
#2 Timo Werner
The German has been scoring consistently for Leipzig in recent years and has attracted interests from clubs all around Europe.
The 22-year-old has scored 11 goals in 19 Bundesliga appearances this season. He is fast, agile and is a maestro at the short pass game. He joined Leipzig in 2016 and has since scored 55 goals and assisted 20 times in 100 appearances for the German club.
He has netted nine goals in his 23 appearances for Germany and is considered to be the ‘next Miroslav Klose’. He has the potential to become one of the best strikers in European football. He still has to improve on his aerial skills, but at his age, he is a solid striker.
Although he is not rated as high as the likes of Gabriel Jesus or Marcus Rashford, he is currently the best young striker in Europe and still has a long way to go. His contract with Leipzig expires in 2020, hence he can be available on a cheap transfer for Barcelona. He ticks all the boxes for a complete striker.