Barcelona’s need for a fresh face up front has been evident all season, but they still don’t really have the money to make any big transfers just now.
There have been plenty of stories about potential swap deals which haven’t got anywhere, so the reality is they’ll need to take a punt on a loanee or someone unexpected in January with the hope they can step up.
Mundo Deportivo have reported that Napoli forward Hirving Lozano is the latest to express his desire to move to the Nou Camp in January, although there’s nothing to suggest that his club are on board with that idea.
The Mexican star can play through the middle but he’s usually more effective as a a left winger who can cut inside on his right foot and cause problems that way.
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That flank is usually occupied by Ansu Fati and Ousmane Dembele so it’s not really the position of need for Koeman just now, but they do suggest that Koeman is now desperately looking for a new striker.
They either need to sign someone who can challenge Antoine Griezmann for a place or find a right sided player who would allow Messi to move inside, but that would need a different tactical approach.
It’s likely that Lozano won’t be the last player to instruct their agent to see if Barca are interested, but he doesn’t look like the answer to their problems.