Which forward should Barca sign this January?
For ages now, FC Barcelona (or more popularly, Barca) have been held synonymous with attacking prowess. From the days of László Kubala, Johan Cruyff, Luis Suarez to Lionel Messi, Suarez (the Uruguayan one) and Neymar with the likes of Ronaldinho, Rivaldo and Romario in between.
But recently due to economic hardships and sporting struggles resulting from years of mismanagement, the situation hasn't been as rosy. The Blaugrana have scored 25 times in 21 games in all competitions this season. This record is frankly embarrassing and has led to their poor performances in the league and Europe.
Currently, Barca have five first-team forwards - Memphis Depay, Ousmane Dembele, Ansu Fati, Luuk De Jong and Yusuf Demir. Each comes with his own problems.
Depay has done the bulk of the goalscoring but for all his talent he struggles to match the rhythm of the others. He often vacates his position, overdoes things, and slows the game down.
Next up is Frenchman Dembele, who can go from unplayable to unwatchable in the blink of an eye. Add to that the constant injuries and uncertainty over signing a new deal, anything that he provides at the moment is a bonus.
Ansu Fati, even at 19, is the best of the lot. However, with recent injury issues and Barca's long term plans depending on him, it's very important to treat him very carefully, keeping him wrapped in cotton wool if need be.
Luuk De Jong is simply not of the level or style Barca require him to be. Yusuf Demir is extremely young and raw and there are doubts whether his profile fits the way the team wants to operate at the moment. Other options include Ez Abde and Ilias Akhomach who are raw and exciting but not dependable or ready yet.
So in short, Barca need at least one forward this January. Here we look at a pros and cons list of the most realistic links.
Barca's potential striker shortlist for January
#5 Adnan Januzaj
Adnan Januzaj has been linked with Barcelona in recent days. Once deemed a wonderkid at Manchester United, it didn't exactly work out for him but now he seems to have found his feet again at Real Sociedad.
Adnan Januzaj completed more take-ons (22) and created more chances (20) than any other player in the Europa League group stages.
A constant threat. #UEL https://t.co/CdytB6gO9k
Pros: Januzaj is already at Real Sociedad and hence wouldn't require any major adaptation period. He is also extremely technically gifted and seems to be available at an affordable price.
Adnan Januzaj could come to Barcelona in January or next summer.
— Lluis Canut via @OnzeTv3 https://t.co/K7ZzfZmxKK
Cons: Lack of offensive output is the biggest flaw. Despite decent underlying creative numbers, Januzaj only has 40 goal contributions in 146 games for La Real. Also, if one is to be rather frank, the Belgian doesn't possess the level that Barca require long term.
#4 Arthur Cabral
Arthur Cabral is the Brazilian striker who is tearing it up for FC Basel in the Swiss League. He has 14 goals in 15 league games to go with the five he scored in the UEFA Conference League this season as well.
🇧🇷 Arthur Cabral (23) this season:
☑️ 28 games
⚽️ 27 goals
🅰️ 8 assists
🔥 Goal involvement every 64 min
The @FCBasel1893 behemoth. 🤩 https://t.co/FGSv33mEis
Pros: Cabral is a sharp striker in the box capable of coming up with all kinds of finishes, something Barca have sorely lacked since Luis Suarez left. Basel are unlikely to demand too much and the player's wages won't be too high either.
Cons: This is Cabral's breakout season in Europe, meaning he's still sort of an unknown quantity. Even apart from that the Swiss League is not the strongest and he might find the transition to La Liga, where most teams sit deep and cut down space against Barca, hard to deal with.
#3 Edinson Cavani
If Cabral is an unknown quantity, Edinson Cavani falls as much on the other end of the spectrum as possible. A legend approaching the swansong of his career, the Uruguayan has seen Cristiano Ronaldo's signing push him to the sidelines at Manchester United. According to reports, he'd be open to a move to the Camp Nou.
Pros: Cavani's career speaks for itself. He's an extremely lethal finisher, one of the best strikers of this generation. His hard work on the pitch and work ethic in general is also phenomenal. With six months left on his contract, he'd barely cost anything.
📰[MARCA] | Cavani's Priority is to Join Barcelona. https://t.co/ZcDtg2wIVS
Cons: Cavani is 34, meaning he'll definitely be a short term solution at best. Whether Barca want a short-term solution at a time when they are looking to rebuild completely is a question worth pondering.
His injury record is also pretty poor. Since the beginning of the 20/21 season, he has missed 180 days owing to various injuries and is currently out at the time of writing as well.
#2 Julian Alvarez
Julian Alvarez is the next big thing in Argentine football. A creative forward with a fantastic scoring record, Alvarez can play through the middle or through the right. He was the only South American under-21 player with more than 15 goals and 15 assists last year.
Barcelona have set up a meeting with River Plate in Argentina for on Monday to start negotiating for Julián Álvarez. The striker has earned the interest of several European clubs, and Barça are acting quickly now. [tnt sports] https://t.co/flSv5gRqD4
Pros: A forward who is creative as well as a great finisher is pretty much the dream for Barca at the moment. Alvarez ticks both these boxes. He is also just 21, meaning he has a lot of room to grow, which he can do under the mentorship of Sergio Aguero, who is still contracted to Barca.
Cons: Alvarez might be ripping South American football to shreds at the moment, but to be honest, European and South American football are extremely different. The transition might prove difficult for him and will, at best, take some time.
#1 Ferran Torres
Ferran Torres at the moment is Barca's primary target. A promising winger at Valencia, Ferran has sharpened his tools under Pep Guardiola and Luis Enrique and looks ready to take on the responsibility at the Camp Nou.
In terms of the transfer, Xavi wants him and the player wants a move as well. Barca are currently negotiating with Manchester City to finalize a fee either for the summer or for January itself.
🚨🚨[ @ffpolo🥇] | Manchester City and Barcelona are close to an agreement on Ferran Torres. At Camp Nou it is very possible that the transfer will close next month. #FCBlive https://t.co/s1nrqIRiup
Pros: Ferran is an elite talent, capable of changing games on his own merit. He used to be an exciting winger at Valencia but recently he has improved his end product a lot and has shown that he can play through the middle as well. Pace, creativity, finishing, Torres has got them all.
Cons: The only problem here is only one and that is money. City understandably don't want him to go on the cheap but Barca want him for 40-45m in January. The Manchester club are said to be looking to get a deal closer to 60m.
Whether the clubs can find an agreement in time remains to be seen. Barca's precarious financial state means they can't afford to pay a penny extra.