Following the 0-4 defeat to Real Madrid on Wednesday night, Barcelona have made it a priority to reinforce their frontline in the summer, reports Toni Juanmarti.
The journalist further states that Lionel Messi, Yannick Carrasco and Vitor Roque are being considered as the three options by the club. At the same time, integrating loanee Ez Abde into the first-team squad is also an option.
Barcelona were hammered 0-4 by Real Madrid at Camp Nou last night. While the defence had a forgettable outing, the report from Juanmarti states that the Blaugrana will not press any panic buttons as it is this defence that has performed exceptionally this term.
Ideally, a new right-back would have been preferred, but financial conditions prevent them from going all out in multiple positions. Hence, Barcelona will now throw their weight behind bringing in a top forward, especially to address their problems on the left flank.
When it comes to the left wing, the Catalans are lacking the sort of flair and threat that Ousmane Dembele brings on the right side. Ansu Fati and Ferran Torres have failed to make the most of their chances.
Hence, even though the formula of four midfielders is not entirely preferred in the dressing room, Xavi has been using it due to the lack of quality on the left.
All things considered, the Blaugrana have decided to strengthen their frontline as a priority and want to bring in a player who first can score goals and take some burden off of Robert Lewandowski, who has gone quiet of late. On top of that, the Catalans want a player who can take on defenders on the left flank.
Messi is a serious option that the Catalans are looking at for the summer. The Argentine will be a free agent this summer and is said to be keen on returning to Barcelona, but FFP issues could be a hurdle.
Meanwhile, Yannick Carrasco is another option that Barcelona are seriously studying, having secured a purchase option worth around €15-20 million for him from Atletico Madrid in January. But recent reports suggested that they would be unwilling to pay more than €9-10 million for the Belgian.
Athletico Paranaense starlet Vitor Roque is also an option, having been heavily linked with a move to Camp Nou. But the youngster’s €45-50 million price tag could become an issue for the La Liga leaders.
Apart from these options, the retention of Ez Abde, who has impressed on loan at Osasuna, is also being considered. Everything will depend on how the FFP issues are dealt with and the spending margin that the club will have.