La Liga heavyweights Barcelona have reportedly identified Chelsea striker Romelu Lukaku as a potential alternative to Erling Haaland.
According to a report by Spanish publication Mundo Deportivo, Romelu Lukaku has emerged on Barcelona’s radar over a possible move in the summer transfer window. The Catalan giants view the Chelsea striker as a potential alternative to Erling Haaland.
Romelu Lukaku has seen his career stutter considerably since returning to Chelsea last summer. When he arrived from Inter Milan in a club-record deal, the expectations were naturally high, especially because the Belgian international had helped break Juventus’s hegemony over Serie A in the 2020/21 season.
But Lukaku has failed to deliver the goods for Chelsea, as he has managed a sub-par tally of 11 goals and two assists in 31 appearances across all competitions. As a result, there is a chance that Lukaku could leave Chelsea for a second time less than a year after returning to Stamford Bridge. And his next destination could be Barcelona.
The Catalan giants are scouring the market for a centre-forward heading into the summer transfer window. That is because Martin Braithwaite’s Barcelona stint will likely end ahead of the 2022/23 season, while Luuk de Jong will return to Sevilla and is not expected to join the Blaugrana on a permanent deal.
Barcelona’s priority target is Erling Haaland. But the Borussia Dortmund striker is a target for the most high profile clubs in Europe, meaning Barcelona must prepare a contingency plan. The said plan has now taken them towards Lukaku, whose struggles at Chelsea could make him expendable.
With Chelsea also facing the heat due to Roman Abramovich’s relations with Vladimir Putin, there is a good chance that Barcelona might poach Lukaku this coming summer. But the Belgian striker is not the only Chelsea player on Barcelona’s radar, with Timo Werner also emerging as a potential Haaland alternative.
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Apart from Lukaku and Werner, Patrik Schick and Rafael Leao are the other alternatives that the Blaugrana could consider. With Haaland heavily linked with Real Madrid and Manchester City, Barcelona will likely have to launch the offensive for one of the four strikers mentioned in the Mundo Deportivo report.
