Barcelona have been warned against going after the signing of Erling Haaland or Kylian Mbappe by former defender and cult hero, Albert Ferrer.
Speaking in an exclusive interview with the Mirror, former Barcelona defender Albert Ferrer has claimed that signing Erling Haaland or Kylian Mbappe might not serve the Catalan giants well as they would not be suited to the style of play at Camp Nou.
Barcelona have made a difficult start to the new campaign and find themselves in a lowly ninth place in La Liga while their chances of qualifying for the UEFA Champions League knockout phases also hang by a thread. The recent defeat to Real Madrid in El Clasico this past weekend has increased the pressure on manager Ronald Koeman.
Barcelona have major issues needed to address with regard to their squad, especially in the attacking unit as they lost both Lionel Messi and Antoine Griezmann last summer. Summer signing Memphis Depay has faded after a bright start to the season while fellow Dutchman Luuk de Jong has proven to be a major dud.
In addition, with Sergio Aguero struggling with fitness issues, a new forward is a priority for the Blaugrana. The club have been long-term admirers of Borussia Dortmund hitman Erling Haaland and remain interested in his services, even though the financial difficulties within the club might make it hard for them to sign him.
In addition to Haaland, Barcelona have also been credited with an interest in Paris Saint-Germain superstar Kylian Mbappe. In fact, recent reports have indicated that the Catalan giants are ready to offer him a massive signing-on bonus to beat Real Madrid to his signing next summer.
Ferrer believes that a new centre-forward would address a lot of problems for Barcelona. However, he goes on to add that Haaland and Mbappe might not be the best fit for the club and the duo might struggle to thrive in the system and style of play that the Catalan giants employ currently.
“I still think Barcelona can challenge for trophies even now. But I believe they need a striker that makes the difference. If you look at the big clubs, most of them have a top forward who scores 20 goals every season. This is something Barca are missing. Let’s see how it goes with Memphis Depay but he’s not really a No.9,” he said.
“Don’t forget, Barca lost Lionel Messi and Luis Suarez in two years. That’s an average of 50 goals per season. To realistically win things they possibly need a top striker. But you must consider the way they play is very particular. They will always have around 70% of possession, and that means the opponents will sit back and not leave any space.
“I’m not saying that Kylian Mbappe or Erling Haaland wouldn’t fit in, but they may not play the game they feel comfortable with – running into space against a high defence. So they need a striker, but let’s pay attention to the kind of striker they need considering the circumstances and philosophy.”
