After failing to land any of their top transfer priorities this summer, Barcelona finally seem to have made a high profile signing in the form of Paco Alcacer.
According to reports from Marca, the 22 year old completed a medical on Monday and will make a transfer worth €30 million to from Valencia to Camp Nou.
The Spanish international did not play in Valencia’s 1-0 loss at Eibar, with reports quick to claim that he was leaving the club, although coach Pako Ayesteran claimed that he was “not in the ideal situation to compete.” However, after the medical, his move is all but confirmed.
However, he will not be unveiled as a Barcelona player till he returns from the Spain squad that take on Liechtenstein in their opening game of the FIFA World Cup 2018 qualifiers.
Alcacer came through the youth ranks at Valencia and has made 92 senior appearances for the club, scoring 30 times. However, he scored 25 of them in the La Liga in his last 51 starts for the club over the last two seasons.
He was also the top scorer for Spain in the Euro 2016 qualifiers with 5 goals, but failed to make the cut for the final squad that went to France.
Barcelona have been looking for a strike option to supplement the likes of Messi, Suarez and Neymar but so far had been left frustrated, especially when they failed to land Frenchman Kevin Gameiro, who joined rivals Atletico Madrid instead and Argentine Luciano Vietto, who joined Sevilla on loan.
Should the move go through, Alcacer will be the fourth Barcelona signing from Valencia in the last four years.
Defender Jordi Alba signed for La Roja from Valencia in 2012, Jeremy Matheiu made the move in 2014 and the most recent addition was Portuguese attacking midfielder Andre Gomes in July this year.
Naturally, it will not be easy for Alcacer as he will be fighting for a place in the starting lineup with three of the best forwards in the world. However, Alcacer is just 22 and so has time in his favour. If he utilizes whatever opportunity that comes his way and sticks around, he has all the ingredients to be a realy productive player for Barcelona in the near future.
