Barcelona are reportedly eyeing RB Leipzig’s Portuguese striker Andre Silva as a potential cost-effective alternative for Erling Haaland.
According to a report from Fichajes, Barcelona have identified RB Leipzig centre-forward Andre Silva as an alternative for priority summer transfer target Erling Haaland.
The 21-year-old Norwegian international is at the top of the summer shopping list for Barcelona president Joan Laporta. However, the club’s financial situation and the competition for his signing mean that a deal to lure the Borussia Dortmund hitman at the end of the season will be difficult.
As a result, the Catalans are preparing a list of alternative options if their pursuit of Haaland fails. And Andre Silva of RB Leipzig has emerged as one such potential candidate that is being considered as Plan B.
Having burst onto the scene in Portugal with FC Porto, Silva became a household name in Europe with his goalscoring exploits before earning a big move to AC Milan. However, his switch to Italy failed to produce the desired results, while the Portuguese striker could not light up the stage on loan at Sevilla either.
But a transfer to Eintracht Frankfurt in 2019 helped Silva resurrect his career and establish himself as one of the most sought-after strikers in Europe. In two seasons with the Bundesliga outfit, he scored 45 goals from 71 matches, earning a high-profile transfer to RB Leipzig in the summer of 2021.
Silva has had a relatively slow start to life at RB Leipzig, producing a tally of eight goals and five assists from 25 games across all competitions. With 19 goals from 49 caps for the Portuguese national team, Silva is a proven commodity in international football, highlighting his goalscoring pedigree.
Now, Barcelona have identified the 26-year-old as a potential alternative to Erling Haaland. The report claims that he could be available for a fee in the range of €35-40 million, a valuation that could be reduced further by offering a player in a part-exchange deal.
Apart from Silva, Barcelona also have Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang as a target while they are also looking at Chelsea’s Timo Werner as Plan B if they fail to sign their priority target in Haaland. A new and prolific goalscorer is a must at Catalonia, considering the lack of a quality No. 9 at Xavi’s disposal.
A stop-gap signing is expected to be made in January, with Alvaro Morata closing in on a loan move. However, they will go after a marquee name in the summer transfer window. It will be interesting to see if the Blaugrana can sign their top target in Haaland or are forced to go after the alternatives like Silva.