Barcelona considering move for La Liga striker as an alternative to Lewandowski

Villarreal forward Gerard Moreno has immerged as a surprise target for Barcelona, with a report from Spanish news outlet, Diario SPORT, saying that the 30-year-old will only be considered if the club fails to land Bayern Munich frontman Robert Lewandowski.

It’s pretty much understood that while Lewandowski remains Barça’s absolute priority, they are also working on the contingency plan if the operation fails. For that, several players have made it to the list and Moreno is only the latest entrant.

Barcelona’s troubling finances mean they cannot really spread their budget, but the striker’s position is something that they are willing to invest in.

For Moreno, his current Villarreal contract runs until 2027 having only signed an extension in August 2021 and the Spanish striker currently has a release clause of €100 million.

Now, this may seem like an arbitrary number, but SPORT says Villarreal would be open to negotiate at a starting price of around €40 million. This is, in fact, the same figure Barcelona are preparing for Lewandowski.

The difference in quality between Moreno and Lewandowski is pretty much evident but one needs to keep in mind the fact that the latter does not really have much left in his tank. For Moreno, at 30 years of age, he is rightly meeting the expectations set by Xavi.

As of today, Moreno’s name isn’t the only one topping the list. The likes of Romelu Lukaku and Darwin Nunez have been linked in the past, but given Moreno’s experience of playing in Spanish La Liga, he might as well become a serious contender for the role.

But if Barcelona are to even consider acquiring the 30-year-old, they should know there are other suitors waiting to pry. This includes fellow La Liga side Atletico Madrid who are looking for Luis Suarez’s replacement.