BARÇA LOOKS FOR ITS NEXT GREAT '9'
One star and two revelations: Barça's candidates to replace Robert Lewandowski
Published:23/09/2024 - 18:26h
Updated:24/09/2024 - 06:54h
Barça is starting to look to the future. Robert Lewandowski's contract expires in 2026 and at 36 years of age it seems unlikely that he will decide to extend it, so the Catalans have begun the search for a possible replacement for the Pole in the forward line
Robert Lewandowski is experiencing a second youth at FC Barcelona under Hansi Flick. At 36 years old, the Pole is making a spectacular start to the season, scoring 6 goals in the first 6 LaLiga games and being one of the main responsible for the perfect start of the Barça squad. However, the player's contract expires in June 2026, and at his age it seems difficult for him to decide to extend it, so the Catalans have begun the search for their next great '9'.
Joan Laporta's great dream
The name that shines the brightest on the Barça agenda is Erling Haaland. The Norwegian remains the most coveted striker on the continent and an old desire of the Catalan club, which already tried to sign him in 2022 before he joined Manchester City. The footballer, Laporta's great dream for the attack, is linked to the 'skyblue' team until 2027, and his salary, more than 20 million pounds, puts him in the second tier of Guardiola's team only behind Kevin de Bruyne and one of the best paid in Europe.
His operation would not be simple, since his departure depends on several factors, the possible sanction that City could face for financial violations by the Premier League being the most essential. If found guilty, the Mancunians could be punished with sporting relegation, a scenario that would be wanted to be taken advantage of by several of the big clubs on the continent, including Barça, to get the services of the '9', whose transfer price would start at the current 175 million euros although this figure could vary in case of sanction.
The two 'hidden' options at Barça
Taking into account that the competition for Haaland will be quite tight and his cost could 'skyrocket', the Catalans are considering two options as 'plan B' and 'C'. The first of them, Viktor Gyökeres, a Swedish striker who is doing well at Sporting CP. The goalscorer is having a sensational start to the season with 11 goals in 8 games, so both in Barcelona and in the Premier League are starting to keep track of him.
According to 'SPORT', teams such as Arsenal, Tottenham, Liverpool, Chelsea and PSG are reportedly after him, so Barça are preparing to face a difficult bid. His signing would not be cheap, since, aware of the 'jewel' they have in their ranks, the offices of José Alvalade would ask for 100 million euros to let him go.
For this reason, the Catalans are considering another alternative. This is Benjamin Sesko, a young prodigy from RB Leipzig who at 21 has already rejected attractive offers such as that from Arsenal to continue developing in the Bundesliga. With a contract until June 2029 and a market value of 50 million euros, the Slovenian is presented as a more than interesting option for the Catalans, who could follow the same route as with Dani Olmo to incorporate him into their ranks.
