Barcelona transfer news: 7-man shortlist compiled to replace Suarez – Report

Barcelona transfer news: Luis Suarez might be among the goals at Barcelona, but the club has already started to identify potential replacements.

Barcelona are currently at the top of the La Liga table. The side registered an emphatic 5-0 victory over Levante last weekend, with Messi scoring a hat-trick, while Gerard Pique and Luis Suarez also put the ball past the goalkeeper.

Luis Suarez has scored 11 goals in this season so far, and stepped up brilliantly in the absence of Lionel Messi, when the Argentine suffered a shoulder injury. He inspired Barcelona to a thunderous 5-1 win over Real Madrid in season’s first El Clasico, which led to the sacking of manager Julen Lopetegui.

However, Barcelona have started to look out for replacements for the 32-year old Uruguayan striker. Suarez has himself admitted earlier in the season that club needs to ‘look at the future.’

And so, the club has identified 7 strikers who could potentially replace Luis Suarez at Barcelona.

Barcelona transfer news: Replacement for Suarez?

According to Spanish media outlet Mundo Deportivo, Barcelona have selected 7 strikers who could replace Luis Suarez at the club.

The list includes names like Kasper Dolberg from Ajax, and Timo Werner from RB Leipzig, who are considered the top targets at the club.

The other names include Maxi Gomez from Celta, who is Suarez’s teammate in the national team. Genoa’s Krzysztof Piatek, Benfica’s Luka Jovic, Nicolas Pepe from Lille and Milan’s Andre Silva complete the 7-player list.

According to the report, Barcelona are worried about Luis Suarez’s knee condition, which seems to be aggravating with age. Suarez has opted for rest twice this season with knee concerns, which has forced Barcelona to look out for possible replacements.

At the end of the previous season, Barcelona parted ways with midfielder Andres Iniesta, who joined Japanese club Vissel Kobe.

In November, Luis Suarez stated that it’s ‘normal’ for the club to start looking at alternatives at the striker’s position.

“Criticism to myself – FC Barcelona needs a number nine. Looking for one is normal, I’m 31 and the club needs to think about the future,” Luis Suarez said.

What next?

Barcelona will return to Camp Nou this week as they take on Celta Vigo on Saturday. Ernesto Valverde’s side is currently 3 points ahead of Sevilla, who are second on the table.