Barcelona have reportedly been offered the chance to sign 20-year-old Brazilian striker Yuri Alberto, a target for Arsenal and AC Milan.
According to a report by Spanish publication Mundo Deportivo, Yuri Alberto is the latest striker to be linked with Barcelona. The 20-year-old Internacional forward is also being courted by AC Milan and Arsenal over a possible move in the January transfer window.
Yuri Alberto spent most of his formative years with Santos before graduating from the Brazilian giants’ academy a few years ago. However, since joining Internacional in August 2020 that the young striker has stepped his game up, becoming a prolific striker in the process.
To date, the 20-year-old has made 84 appearances for Internacional, amassing 29 goals and five assists in the process. The youngster’s progress has not gone unnoticed, with some of the biggest clubs in Europe, including AC Milan and Arsenal, setting their sights on him. And now, Alberto has been offered to Barcelona.
The Catalan giants are reportedly looking for a striker heading into the January transfer window. That is because Sergio Aguero is no longer on Barcelona’s books following his forced decision to call time on his glittering career. Aguero’s retirement leaves Xavi Hernandez with Luuk de Jong and Martin Braithwaite as the only natural strikers at his disposal.
With de Jong being nothing short of dreadful since and Braithwaite a backup option at best, Barcelona’s need to sign a striker has been accentuated. To that end, Alberto could be a viable target for Barcelona, but they will face stiff competition from Arsenal and AC Milan in his pursuit.
The interest from Arsenal is understandable, considering Alexandre Lacazette is poised to run his contract down next summer. At the same time, Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang could depart the Emirates in the January transfer window after being frozen out of the first-team picture. As a result, Arsenal will need to sign a striker soon, with Alberto a viable target.
AC Milan will also need to sign a young striker soon, with Zlatan Ibrahimovic and Olivier Giroud in the twilight of their respective careers. However, as for Barcelona, they are focusing their attention on Edinson Cavani going into the January transfer window, with a move for Alberto only likely to be made in the summer. So, it remains to be seen if Arsenal or AC Milan can sign Alberto this winter or if he only leave Internacional next summer.
