La Liga heavyweights Barcelona are reportedly considering signing Romelu Lukaku as an alternative to Robert Lewandowski, who might not leave Bayern Munich.
According to a report by Spanish publication MARCA, Romelu Lukaku has emerged as Plan C for Barcelona to bolster Xavi Hernandez’s centre-forward options in the summer transfer window. The Catalan giants have already initiated discussions with the struggling Chelsea forward’s agent Federico Pastorello.
Romelu Lukaku has endured quite the rollercoaster ride in his professional career at the club level. The Belgian international first joined Chelsea over a decade ago, brimming with potential and primed for big things. But the player could never establish a foothold in the first-team setup at Stamford Bridge and ended up joining Everton, where he excelled.
A hit and miss stint with Manchester United followed before he found the form of his life in a two-year spell with Inter Milan. Lukaku left Inter Milan to rejoin Chelsea last summer, hoping to address unfinished business. But the 28-year-old has been the shell of a player he was at Inter, scoring just five goals in 23 Premier League appearances.
Lukaku’s struggles have prompted Chelsea to consider selling him in the summer transfer window, with the player reportedly keen on returning to Inter Milan. But Barcelona could present an interesting alternative to the struggling Chelsea forward in the summer transfer window.
Barcelona will likely delve into the market for a striker in the summer transfer window when Xavi Hernandez will continue remodelling the squad he inherited from Ronald Koeman. Luuk de Jong will return to Sevilla when his loan deal expires, while Martin Braithwaite should seek regular game-time elsewhere.
The duo’s likely departure will leave Xavi with Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang as the only natural centre-forward at his disposal. Signing a striker has thus become necessary for Barcelona, with Erling Haaland initially emerging as the priority target. But Barcelona cannot afford to sign the Borussia Dortmund star and subsequently set sights on Robert Lewandowski.
However, Bundesliga champions Bayern Munich are determined to keep hold of the Polish goal machine, meaning Barcelona might need to keep options open. As a result, Lukaku has emerged as a Plan C for Barcelona, with the Blaugrana already holding talks with the struggling Chelsea forward’s agent Federico Pastorello.
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It is unclear if Lukaku will be open to joining Barcelona in the summer transfer window. But after falling down the pecking order at Chelsea, responding favourably to Barcelona’s interest could be a step in the right direction for the Belgian international, especially in a World Cup year.