With each passing week, it becomes more understandable that Barcelona has sold its soul (that is, that it has pulled different financial levers and mortgaged its future) to win a League title.
Xavi's men occupy third place in the standings this season, seven points behind leaders Real Madrid and their Catalan neighbour, Girona.
The performances of Robert Lewandowski, signed in the summer of 2022 and who will turn 36 later this year, have come under scrutiny, especially in big games. Take away his waning accuracy and Barça have little to work with.
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Lewandowski is far from being Barcelona's typical number nine. He's not one to get you off your seat unless he hits it into the top corner. He lacks the style of the forwards of yesteryear.
Vitor Roque has been signed as a long-term replacement, but unfortunately for Barça, there is now little room for maneuver to try and find a ready-made alternative to Lewandowski.
You've seen the title, you know where we're going, but let's establish some ground rules first. Barcelona are not going to sign a Kylian Mbappé, Erling Haaland, Victor Osimhen or Harry Kane, so you can cross them off the list.
Here we leave you with six forwards who could fit perfectly into the culé club:
What better way to start this list than with a player who has admitted that he is the antithesis of Lewandowski: a striker who struggles to score goals.
“There are things that I can't control. I train, I look, I try, I move, I help the team. The goal is inevitable. I think it's not my strong point, but I score goals and I'm there to score goals. When I come back, it will happen. It's “I work. I work in silence, I am not one of those who respond to criticism, I am not one of those who are happy with praise. I already was, I will not be one again,” he said in November.
But if he were to move away from Lewandowski, a 180-degree change would make some sense. Jesus is a phenomenal footballer who loves to make others play, as shown by his start to life at Arsenal and how useless they seem in the final third of the pitch when he is not there.
As long as Haaland continues at this pace, Barcelona may have a little more luck trying to snatch Julián Álvarez from Manchester City.
The Argentine is naturally a forward, but is often relegated to midfield when the Norwegian extraordinaire is available. It is not a plan that will always work, especially if Álvarez wants to expand his horizons after having already won some 145 trophies in his career.
From one Argentine striker to another, the day will come when a club breaks down Inter's door to take Lautaro Martínez.
It may not be Barcelona. Given their finances, it almost certainly won't be Barcelona. But in a football utopia, it is Barcelona.
The Blaugranas need a striker with contagious enthusiasm, an uncontrollable desire to help the team in any way, but also to score goals. El Toro is that forward.
One of the best things about elite sport is that you encounter all kinds of incredible phenomena. Isak is 1.90 m tall, but he moves as if he were 1.70 m tall. He combines the subtlety of a small forward with the overwhelming presence of his true self.
He is exactly the type of amazing athlete and coach that Barcelona needs to attract its regular fans.
If Barcelona wants a striker who can come at an affordable price, Jonathan David is undoubtedly their man.
The Canadian international ends his contract in 2025 and continues to accumulate goals and assists to have fun in the north of France. He is set to leave Lille, following in the footsteps of Osimhen, Rafael Leao and Mike Maignan.
A player who was available on a free transfer last summer and yet was barely linked to Barcelona.
In any case, 90min reported last week that Firmino could leave Al Ahli just months after signing and that he has been offered a route back to the Premier League.
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