Barcelona are starting to get to the end of an era within their current team. Players like Luis Suarez, Gerard Pique, Lionel Messi and Ivan Rakitic have all been stalwarts but are getting into their 30’s.
Luis Suarez in particular is starting to have issues with a loss of form and injuries, so it’s only natural that Barca are starting to look at other options as possible replacements. Obviously they want to stay loyal to their great players, but they can’t afford to let things get stale and suffer when they can’t perform anymore.
According to a story from Marca, Barca are ready to fight Real Madrid and Man United for the signature of goalscoring sensation Erling Haaland from RB Salzburg. He’s scored 26 goals in 18 games this season so it’s only natural that he’s attracting interest.
READ MORE: Real Madrid fans urge Sergio Ramos to hand over penalty taking duties to teammate to boost top scorer chances
He’s also started to show he can do it in the Champions League, so it’s no surprise to hear the report values him at around €100m.
They do on go to suggest that Barca might not be willing to spend that much money on a new striker, so Lautaro Martinez is also being eyed as an alternative.
Replacing Luis Suarez will need to be done delicately by the club to avoid any kind of backlash from the players. It’s well known that he has a close bond with Messi, so they can’t afford to upset their star player by moving his friend on too quickly.
It’s not to say that Suarez is done at the top level either, but it makes sense to get his replacement in now and let them settle in. If that fails, they could also turn to their £100m+ Summer signing in Antoine Griezmann and actually play him in his favoured central spot.