5 strikers Barcelona might pursue in the summer
It is no longer news that FC Barcelona will be in the hunt for a new striker next summer. While Luis Suarez has been sensational since he joined from Liverpool in 2014, he is 32 and will need supplementing and eventual replacement.
The Blaugrana's unique style of play which emphasizes goals from all over the pitch and the presence of the otherworldy Lionel Messi has meant that the club has gotten by without having at least 2 very good strikers.
Good strikers like Paco Alcacer have come in but have been unable to stake a permanent claim. Even promising young talent like Kerrison and Bojan Kirkic have failed to make the grade.
Given the demands that being a striker for Barca entails and the need to begin to plan for life post-Messi, a good-going-on-great striker has become a priority for manager Ernesto Valverde and the board.
With the likes of Kylian Mbappe, Mauro Icardi and Harry Kane way too expensive to pursue, the club will have to be smart in its pursuit of the ideal target.
Here is a look at 5 players the club might want to take a look at:
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#5 Lautaro Martinez (Inter Milan)
A player very much in the mould of Argentina's famous breadbox strikers i.e forward players whose height is under 6 feet (Aguero, Carlos Tevez, Ezequiel Lavezzi among others).
The young Argentine has been on the radar of the big clubs for a while now. In his first season playing for Inter Milan, he has begun to show signs of his potential.
Following his €22.7m move in the summer, manager Luciano Spalletti has taken his time easing the 21-year-old into the team. Despite his limited playing time, he has hit 7 goals and made 2 assist for the Nerazzurri.
Blessed with pace, amazing aerial ability (for a 1.74m player), dribbling and excellent technique, Martínez is great at holding the ball and moving into vacant spaces to make room for wingers/midfielders to run into.
This makes him perfect for Barca's setup where the emphasis is on shared responsibility for goals from everyone. It is unclear if Inter will be willing to let their prodigy go especially if the issues with Icardi are not resolved soon.