La Liga heavyweights Barcelona reportedly consider 26-year-old Bayer Leverkusen striker Patrik Schick as a potential alternative to Erling Haaland.
According to a report by Spanish publication SPORT, Patrik Schick is the subject of interest from Barcelona over a possible move in the summer transfer window. The Catalan giants view the 26-year-old Bayer Leverkusen striker as a potential alternative to fellow Bundesliga-based striker Erling Haaland.
Patrik Schick was widely regarded as one of the most promising young strikers in Europe during his initial years in Serie A. But after struggling for a few years at AS Roma and RB Leipzig (loan), it seemed as if the Czech striker’s career was headed nowhere. That all changed once he joined Bayer Leverkusen in September 2020.
The 26-year-old followed a decent debut season with Leverkusen with a stunning UEFA Euro 2020 campaign, where he was the joint-top scorer. This term, Schick has continued going from strength to strength, driving Bayer Leverkusen’s push for UEFA Champions League qualification.
The player is one of the top scorers in Bundesliga this season, amassing 20 goals in 20 top-flight outings thus far. Suffice to say, Schick’s progress has not gone unnoticed, with some of the most high profile clubs in Europe, including Barcelona, setting their sights on him.
The interest from Barcelona has cropped up because the three strikers currently at Xavi Hernandez’s disposal are all on the wrong side of 30. In addition, Martin Braithwaite will likely leave Barcelona in the summer transfer window to seek regular game-time elsewhere.
At the same time, Luuk de Jong is poised to return to Sevilla once his loan deal ends, leaving Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang as the only striker certain to be at Camp Nou ahead of the 2022/23 season. Barcelona will thus need to invest in a centre-forward in the summer transfer window, with Erling Haaland their key target.
But the Catalan giants are aware that there is intense competition for the services of the Borussia Dortmund striker, prompting them to keep their options open. Schick has emerged on Barcelona’s radar as part of the said contingency plan, with Karim Adeyemi, Andre Silva and Darwin Nunez the other candidates.
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For now, Schick will be determined to continue Bayer Leverkusen’s push for UEFA Champions League qualification. And if he continues his hot streak, it will not be surprising to see the 26-year-old leave the Bundesliga club to join Barcelona in the summer transfer window.
Featured image credit: Tadeas Bednarz/Wikimedia Commons
