La Liga heavyweights Barcelona are reportedly eyeing 26-year-old Portuguese international Andre Silva as a potential alternative to Erling Haaland.
According to a report by Spanish publication SPORT, Barcelona will be keeping their options open in pursuit of signing a striker in the summer transfer window. The Catalan giants are prioritising signing Erling Haaland but have identified 26-year-old RB Leipzig ace Andre Silva as a potential alternative to the Norwegian international.
Andre Silva joined RB Leipzig last summer following an excellent 2020/21 campaign with Eintracht Frankfurt. But the Portuguese international has struggled to continue from where he left off at the Deutsche Bank Park, blowing hot and cold since arriving at the Red Bull Arena.
While a tally of 14 goals and eight assists in 37 appearances across all competitions is not bad by any means, it is underwhelming for a striker of Silva’s calibre. But that has not deterred the 26-year-old’s potential suitors, with Barcelona one of the clubs closely monitoring his progress at RB Leipzig.
Barcelona will delve into the market for a striker in the summer transfer window, and for a good reason. That is because Martin Braithwaite is poised to exit Camp Nou ahead of the 2022/23 season in search of regular game-time elsewhere, while Luuk de Jong will return to Sevilla after his loan deal ends.
The twin departures will leave Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang as the only natural striker at Xavi Hernandez’s disposal. And with the former Arsenal captain on the wrong side of 30, Barcelona will need to sign a younger alternative, bringing Erling Haaland into the picture.
But while Haaland is a key target for Barcelona, the Catalan giants are well aware that the Borussia Dortmund striker also has several other high profile suitors. That is why they are laying down a contingency plan, which features Darwin Nunez, Karim Adeyemi, Patrik Schick and Andre Silva.
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Silva could be enticed by the prospect of joining Barcelona, considering RB Leipzig’s Champions League qualification is not guaranteed. For now, Haaland remains Barcelona’s priority, but it will not be surprising to see the Blaugrana pursue other options like the 26-year-old Portuguese international.
