Barcelona are finally on the verge of signing the talented striker Paco Alcacer from Valencia, with the forward having completed his medical at the Catalan based club. The deal has taken ever so much time to get finalized and it appears that Barcelona have finally got the 4th striker that they were looking for.
Earlier, this week Valencia’s coach Pako Ayestaran confirmed that the striker is not in the perfect emotional state to compete for the club. The deal will be finalised in the next few hours for an estimated fee of 30 million euros fixed plus variables of five million on a five year contract. The prolific striker has scored 25 La Liga goals in 51 starts for the Los Che in the last two seasons for them.
Alcacer, Valencia’s captain, came through the ranks of Los Che and was also the top scorer for Spain in the Euro 2016 qualifying campaign with five goals.
Have Barcelona finally cracked the 4th Striker Puzzle?
Barcelona had hoped to complete the signing of Kevin Gameiro from Sevilla before the Frenchman signed for Barcelona’s rivals Atletico Madrid. A number of strikers including the Argentine Luciano Vietto rejected an opportunity to join Barcelona for Sevilla for more game time.
The Mestalla based club have always been known for producing dynamic players such as Juan Mata and David Silva, with the recent graduate of the academy being Los Che’s captain Paco Alcacer. The Los Che have lost their glamour in the last couple of years finishing in the bottom half of the La Liga table. The team has managed to pull off few charismatic performance due to their dynamic striker Alcacer, who leads the line with some swagger and an amazing level of determination.
The young striker was loaned out to Getafe CF in the 2012/13 season which helped him grow from strength to strength. Paco Alcacer came into limelight in the following season after his inspirational hat-trick helped Los Che come back from a 3-0 deficit against the Swiss side Basel with a 5-0 win at home to progress with a 5-3 aggregate score in the UEFA Europa league tie.
The striker was included in the Spanish squad that faced Macedonia and France in a Euro 2016 qualifying game. Alcacer did not allow this opportunity slip away from his hand, scoring a goal and adding an assist in the 5-1 victory over the Macedonians. Consistency has been a key issue for the young striker.
Strengths and Weaknesses:
Paco Alcacer’s positioning awareness and predatory instincts differentiate the 21-year-old from the other young strikers in La Liga. Alcacer is usually seen playing in the middle for the Los Che. His first touch and his deceptively quick feet is a gentle reminder of the skills that the youngster possesses. He belongs to the special group of the modern day forwards who can use both their feet when required. The ability to interchange clever flicks has been one of the hallmark of the Spaniard. The Spaniard also has the added dimension of his height 5″9 and 1/2 which can be of great help to the Catalan club.
His aerial ability places him above his competitors.It will not take much time for the youngster to adjust to the Barcelona style of passing as Alcacer is already exposed to such rigorous training. Alcacer is also seen as an ideal replacement for Luis Suarez for his ability to run in behind the defence and his innate ability to stretch the defensive line that the opposition maintains.
Although Alcacer is naturally good with both his feet, his over reliance on his right foot has hindered the attack in certain areas. Inconsistency has been one of the key issues for the Los Che striker. Alcacer is a player who performs in parts and at times can be seen frustrated. The frustration can not only have a negative influence on the player himself but also for the team. At this stage of his Career, these flaws are expected and only time can help Alcacer grow as a player.
The striker is also not very comfortable in tracking back, marking and tackling the opposition.The lack of defensive urgency has exposed the Los Che’s defence in the past few seasons.The trust that the Mestalla based club has put on him has helped the young striker to develop in the past few seasons. Alcacer’s unselfish passes and plays have helped his fellow strikers Rodrigo and Feghouli to create the goal scoring opportunities for Valencia.
