Barcelona manager is in love with Fiorentina’s 21-year-old forward

Barcelona’s hunt for a new top-quality striker for the summer of 2021 is no secret.

Even though the Blaugrana are expected to sign a new centre-forward in January, the plan is to secure the signing of a marquee striker in the summer. This has led to constant links with Borussia Dortmund superstar Erling Haaland, while of late, Manchester United ace Marcus Rashford has also emerged on the radars.

Now Sique Rodriguez, speaking on SER’s Carrusel Deportivo, has thrown in a new name into the mix in the form of Fiorentina hitman Dusan Vlahovic.

The towering Serbian striker has been with the Italian giants since 2018 when he signed from Partizan Belgrade. Having gradually grown into a regular for the first team in Florence, the 21-year-old enjoyed a stunning last season, banging in 21 goals.

Vlahovic looks set to improve on that tally in the current campaign, having already found the back of the net on 17 occasions from just 19 matches. His goalscoring exploits for Fiorentina have led to interest from top clubs such as Juventus, Manchester City, among several others.

And, as per the latest update, Barcelona could also be in the mix as Sique Rodriguez claims that manager Xavi Hernandez ‘is in love’ with the Serbian international. The update indicates that the 41-year-old’s assistants have watched several recordings of the Fiorentina superstar in action.

It is also claimed that Barça had been offered a chance to sign Vlahovic in the summer of 2020 for a fee of around €18 million only. However, the Catalans decided to pass up on the opportunity. Now, one of the most in-demand strikers in Europe, the 21-year-old is expected to cost much higher.

But, in a sense, he could prove to a more economical option that someone like Haaland, who will demand massive wages and clubs wanting to sign him would also have to shell out a commission to his agent, Mino Raiola.

Although Xavi is understood to be a huge admirer of Vlahovic, it remains to be seen if he wants to go after the Serbian’s signing come summer.