Barcelona have reportedly set their sights on Juventus ace Mario Mandzukic as an alternative target if they fail to sign Neymar this summer.
As noted by The Express, the Catalan giants continue to be linked with a move to secure a reunion with their former Brazilian superstar, with an offer expected to be made to Paris Saint-Germain.
However, should they fail to reach an agreement with the Ligue 1 champions, coach Ernesto Valverde may well hope that they consider alternative options to give him another option in attack.
It could prove to be crucial with Lionel Messi, Luis Suarez and Ousmane Dembele all suffering injury setbacks already, and so Barcelona will surely need more than just Antoine Griezmann in the weeks and months ahead.
In turn, that would explain their interest in Mandzukic, with Tuttomercatoweb noting, via La Gazzetta dello Sport, that Barcelona are keen on the Croatian stalwart and could try to sign him if they fail in their pursuit of Neymar.
Naturally, the pair are very different players at different stages of their respective careers. Nevertheless, the 33-year-old Juve forward has experience at the highest level and quality in spades having bagged 212 goals in 538 games in his career.
Further, he could offer a different dynamic to the Barcelona attack with his physical presence and height, while he does have the technical quality to fit in with the style of play that they adopt.
Time will tell if Barcelona are forced to look at their other options, but based on the report above, it would appear as though Mandzukic could certainly be on their shortlist if they can’t strike a deal with PSG for Neymar before the transfer deadline next month.
