Barcelona have reportedly cast their sights on FC Basel’s Brazilian forward Arthur Cabral as an option to bolster their attacking unit in the January transfer window.
According to a Spanish publication Mundo Deportivo, Barcelona have identified FC Basel striker Arthur Cabral as a potential candidate to strengthen their attack in the upcoming transfer window.
The Catalans have been hit hard by injury and fitness problems, which have hurt their chances in La Liga. Indeed, Ousmane Dembele has only featured just once this term, while Ansu Fati has had two new injuries since recovering from his long-term issue, for which he was sidelined for almost a year.
Furthermore, Sergio Aguero did not feature for a couple of months after signing for Barcelona in the summer. And only a few games into his debut season, the Argentine has been sidelined indefinitely due to a heart condition. With Martin Braithwaite also recovering from a serious injury, Barcelona have been left short-handed in the attacking unit, which new manager Xavi Hernandez is keen to address.
As a result, Barcelona have been linked with a plethora of forwards, including Jeremy Doku heading into the January transfer window, with Arthur Cabral of FC Basel being the latest name on the Catalan giants’ radars.
Having come through the ranks at Ceara SC, Cabral spent a brief spell with Palmeiras before joining FC Basel in the summer of 2019, initially on a loan deal that was made permanent last year. Since then, the 23-year-old has chalked up 61 goals and 17 assists from 99 matches for the Swiss giants, with the Brazilian in particularly red-hot form in the 2021/22 season.
Indeed, Cabral has already plundered 23 goals in just 24 matches in the ongoing campaign, along with registering eight assists, making clubs across Europe take note of his goalscoring prowess. There has been some interest in his services from Premier League club Southampton, with Barcelona also now entering the fray for his signing.
The report claims that the Blaugrana have enlisted former star Deco’s help to mediate negotiations with players, with the former Portuguese international already establishing contact with Cabral’s agent over a potential move. However, the only issue for Barcelona is their financial situation, which prohibits them from making major inroads in the January window.
But, a loan deal with an obligation to buy could be considered, while the report also mentions a possible transfer fee of €8 million for the Brazilian. It now remains to be seen if Barcelona decide to press ahead with their interest in Cabral or look at alternatives to add a new striker to their squad.