Barcelona Transfer News Roundup: Barca eye La Liga striker as Robert Lewandowski alternative, Club interested in former Manchester United forward and more - 8 June 2022
Barcelona are determined to bolster their ranks this summer and are drawing up a list of alternatives to their priority targets.
Barcelona finished second in the 2021-22 La Liga season, 13 points behind winners Real Madrid. It was a largely forgettable campaign for the Catalans. The board is now focused and actively working behind the scenes to deliver a successful summer transfer window.
Without further ado, let's take a look at the top stories involving Barcelona from 8 June 2022.
Robert Lewandowski talks up Bayern Munich exit again
Robert Lewandowski has made no secret of his intention to leave Bayern Munich this summer. He is very keen to engineer an exit from the Bundesliga giants before the end of this transfer window.
In an interview with Bild (via Marca), Lewandowski revealed that he believes he can come to an agreement with Bayern with respect to his exit this summer.
He said:
“I think it is better for Bayern to invest the money they can get for me than to keep me until the end of my contract.
“I don’t want to force anything. I want to find the best solution for both sides. Bayern are one of the biggest clubs in the world, a dream club for many players.
“I want this to end, we are not enemies. I am sure we will find an agreement together.”
The 33-year-old insists that it is not selfish on his part to want to leave the club this summer transfer window.
"No, it’s not [selfish]. I know what I had at Bayern and I appreciate it very much. I also know that I have been doing my best not to disappoint the club and the fans for the last eight years.
“I have always tried to give my best, to meet the expectations of the team and the fans. I appreciate the fans.
“If I wasn’t honest about my situation, I would feel I wasn’t being fair to the fans. I know there are a lot of emotions today, but I hope the fans will understand me at some point.”
Barcelona identify Adnan Januzaj as Raphinha alternative
With the club almost giving up on their attempts to tie Ousmane Dembele down to a new contract, they need to sign a right winger. Leeds United's Raphinha is Barcelona's top transfer target but the Catalans' financial problems are acting as an impediment to the deal.
According to Catalunya Radio, they have now identified Real Sociedad's Adnan Januzaj as an alternative to Raphinha. The former Manchester United winger has shown flashes of his quality and could be a good addition to Barcelona's squad.
Although he is not at Raphinha's level, Januzaj has plenty of experience playing in La Liga. The Belgian won't cost anywhere as much as Raphinha will either. In 44 appearances across all competitions for La Real in the 2021-22 season, Januzaj scored five goals and provided three assists.
🚨🚨| Adnan Januzaj has been offered to FC Barcelona.
@gerardromero [🎖️] @JijantesFC
Barcelona eye Gerard Moreno as Lewandowski alternative
A deal for Robert Lewandowski is starting to look very complicated as far as Barcelona are concerned. They are starting to look at alternatives and according to Diario Sport, have identified Gerard Moreno as their 'Plan B'.
Moreno scored 13 goals and provided six assists in 27 appearances across all competitions for Villarreal in the 2021-22 season. He has a release clause of €100 million but the Yellow Submarine are reportedly willing to accept as less as €40 million for the Spanish striker.
However, the Catalans will need to end off competition from Atletico Madrid for Moreno. The Rojiblancos reportedly view the 30-year-old as a potential replacement for Luis Suarez.
🚨🚨| Gerard Moreno is an option for FC Barcelona if Lewandowski cannot be signed; Villarreal could sell him for €40M.
@Jordigil [🥇]