Barcelona are in need of attacking reinforcements and reports claim that Eintracht Frankfurt starlet Luka Jovic could be their top target this summer.
As confirmed by the club on Friday, the Catalan giants saw their attacking options reduced further as Munir El Haddadi completed his move to Sevilla.
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Beyond Luis Suarez, that doesn’t leave coach Ernesto Valverde with a great deal of quality depth up front or even options to merely rotate and rest the Uruguayan stalwart if necessary.
In turn, while a January move for a new striker would seemingly make most sense, Mundo Deportivo claim that Barcelona will continue to monitor Jovic with a view of a possible summer swoop.
The 21-year-old is currently on loan at Frankfurt from Benfica, although the Bundesliga outfit do have an option to buy on him.
Given that he’s scored 17 goals and provided four assists in 23 appearances so far this season, with 12 of those goals coming in 15 league outings, it seems like it would be a no-brainer from Frankfurt’s perspective to make it a permanent move.
Nevertheless, much will depend on whether or not they can afford the fee required, while Barcelona’s reported interest could now complicate matters further as it remains to be seen if the Spanish champions make a move for Jovic at the end of the season.
The chance of playing at the Nou Camp will surely outweigh any other option on the table, but with a January swoop not on the cards, perhaps Jovic’s form between now and the summer will be key to convincing Barcelona that he is a viable option to add quality depth to the squad up front.
Suarez has bagged 12 goals in 22 games so far this season, which suggests that he still has plenty left in the tank. However, given his injury troubles and the fact that he turns 32 later this month, a long-term replacement and short-term competition is certainly needed at Barcelona.
