Barcelona continue striker search to replace Luis Suarez but Antoine Griezmann is the solution for now

Can Griezmann fill the void in a no.9 role?
AFP via Getty Images
Ben Hayward25 January 2020

Barcelona's centre-forward celebrated his 33rd birthday on Friday and he may be closer to 34 by the time he pulls on the famous shirt again in an official game for the Catalan club.

Luis Suarez underwent knee surgery after the Spanish Supercopa in Saudi Arabia and will be sidelined for four months. He could be back for the end of the season, but there are no guarantees.

With no back-up striker in the first-team squad and little faith in youth attacker Abel Ruiz, Barca have been looking at their options and are seeking to sign another centre-forward this month.

Standard Sport understands Arsenal's Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang was a target, but concerns over his age (he will be 31 in June), cost and the difficulty of agreeing a deal mid-season mean that move is now virtually ruled out.

Inter Milan's Lautaro Martinez is the club's favoured option in the long term. However, the Argentine has a release clause of €111 million and Barca do not have that kind of money at the moment. The Italians would also be unlikely to let the 22-year-old leave in January.

Aubameyang was considered by Barcelona.
PA

Osasuna's Ezequiel 'Chimy' Avila was considered, but there are doubts over whether the Argentine would fit Barca's style of play and the Osasuna forward suffered a serious injury on Friday, which is set to rule him out for the remainder of the season.

Red Bull Leipzig striker Timo Werner has also been linked by the Catalan press, but the 23-year-old would be expensive and difficult to sign at this stage of the campaign, with the German side set to meet Tottenham over two legs in the last 16 of the Champions League in February and March.

Valencia's Rodrigo Moreno has emerged as an alternative in the last couple of days. The Spain striker is ready to return from a spell out through injury and should play against Barca at Mestalla in LaLiga on Saturday. He would cost around €60 million, but reports claim the Copa del Rey holders would be open to negotiating a sale.

In Pictures | Ibiza vs Barcelona | 22/01/2020

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One possibility is a loan now, with the transfer to be made permanent in the summer. But Rodrigo is 29 in March and would not represent a long-term option. For €60m, Barca might be better off bringing in an experienced player on a shorter deal (like Girona's Cristhian Stuani) or going all out for Martinez.

Asked in his pre-match press conference if he liked Rodrigo, new Barcelona coach Quique Setien said: "I like all the great players." And on the striker's return on Saturday. he added: "He is an extraordinary footballer who can make things difficult for any team. I would have preferred him not to play."

While Barca ponder a move for the 28-year-old, Antoine Griezmann will be asked to fill in at Mestalla. The French forward saved Setien's blushes with both goals in Wednesday's 2-1 comeback win in Ibiza in the Copa del Rey and will be used in a central role again on Saturday.

When it was put to Setien that the former Atleti attacker could be Barca's no. 9, he said: "It's an option. We don't have a specific player now, but he is a good alternative. He helped us a lot and we value that. He is good at losing his markers and drops to the channels."

Griezmann's two goals against Ibiza took him to 11 for the season in all competitions and in a more central position under Setien, he may yet be the solution to the Suarez-shaped hole in Barca's attack. Perhaps even until the end of the season.

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