It’s no secret that Barcelona are looking for a new attacking center this month.
Rumors about the movements of Edinson Cavani and Alvaro Morata have been circulating for a while, and even if one of them does arrive, President Joan Laporta has no intention of stopping there.
Barcelona High Team are planning to sign an outspoken striker in the summer with Erling Haaland picking their favourite.
However, competition and finances could make the Norwegian’s deal difficult and force the club to withdraw.
In such a situation, Laporta prepares for emergencies and is looking specifically at the South American market, Vichajes claims.
There is a lot of special talent coming in the region and the financial value is likely to be much lower than that of Europe.
Therefore, the Barcelona president is said to have been closely scouring the market, with three players on the radar.
The first player on Laporta’s list is Flamengo’s Brazilian striker Gabriel Barbosa, widely known as Gabigol, the 25-year-old has been at his best since returning to his homeland after an unfortunate stint in Europe.
With 84 goals in 126 appearances for Flamengo, he has established himself as one of the most prolific scorers on the continent and Newcastle United are also chasing him. His contract with the Brazilian club runs until 2024 and is worth 26 million euros.
The second name thought to be on Barcelona’s wish list is River Plate’s Julian Alvarez.
The 21-year-old finished the 2021 season as the top scorer in the Argentine First Division with 18 goals in 21 games and is an international player with the Argentina national team and has five caps.
Currently on the radars of many of Europe’s top teams, Alvarez has a €25m exit clause, while his contract also expires at the end of the season, making him an attractive target for clubs including the Blaugrana.
The third striker from South America that Laporta Barcelona is looking for is Agustin Alvarez of Peñarol.
The Uruguayan, who is also a transfer target for Catalan arch rivals Real Madrid and Atlético Madrid, is just 20 years old and has 33 goals and nine assists in 70 games for his boyhood club.
With one goal in four matches for Uruguay, Alvarez showed plenty of potential and pedigree at a very young age. However, he still has more than two years left on his contract with Penarol, while there is also stiff competition to sign.