Following Robert Lewandowski’s departure, Barca needs a new striker. But Chelsea’s Joao Pedro is unlikely to be the one. And Marcus Rashford is out of the question as well—the Englishman is expected to stay, but has other plans.
During FC Barcelona’s championship celebration this week, the team didn’t just celebrate successfully defending their La Liga title. The internal farewell to Robert Lewandowski was also on the agenda. It was a deeply emotional moment, as sporting director Deco noted to media representatives after the event. “It’s a somewhat sad day, because Robert’s departure is now certain,” Marca quotes the Portuguese executive as saying.
At the same time, the Polish player’s departure marks the start of a difficult task for the Catalan club’s management. “It’s almost impossible to replace Robert—Barca’s best striker in recent years,” Deco added, though he ruled out a candidate rumored in the media: “You’re wrong about Joao Pedro,” he replied to rumors surrounding the Chelsea striker, which had been raised by Cadena SER, among others.
Top solution or creative alternative?
The reaction to the name Julian Alvarez, however, was more cryptic. “We’re not ruling anyone out,” Deco remained tight-lipped in this context, emphasizing his desire to improve the squad: “It’s time to make decisions and strengthen the team.” Something “La Arana” would certainly be capable of. After all, the reigning world champion has emerged as one of the league’s best strikers at Atlético. As the Catalans also had to learn, having been eliminated by the Rojiblancos in the Copa del Rey semifinals and the Champions League quarterfinals.
The sticking point for the champions, who remain in more than just financial trouble, is likely to be the financial resources. It seems clear that Atlético would demand a more than generous transfer fee for Alvarez. Deco is well aware of this, which is perhaps why he hinted at the possibility of having to find a creative solution. “Ferran came in as a winger and has developed into a number 9,” he said, referring to Ferran Torres, who once again shared the center-forward role with Lewandowski in the season just ended.
Rashford option expires at the end of June
Things went in the opposite direction for Marcus Rashford. Often deployed as a striker at the start of his career, the Englishman was increasingly drawn to the left wing. A role he has now successfully filled at FC Barcelona as well. Fifteen points in 31 league games and nine goal contributions in eleven Champions League matches prove this statistically. These figures make it clear why the Blaugrana are interested in signing the Manchester United loanee permanently—as a winger, not as a center forward.
According to Marca, Rashford shares this interest. The 28-year-old is even reportedly willing to accept further pay cuts in order to stay in Barcelona. However, it is currently unclear whether the Catalans will exercise the purchase option granted to them by Manchester United. The option is reportedly set at around 30 million euros and remains valid until the end of June. This is yet another task Deco must tackle.
