Barcelona are continuing to focus on their Robert Lewandowski succession plans, with reports again naming Alexander Isak as the frontrunner. transfer target
Lewandowski, now 36, shows no signs of slowing down in front of goal and continues to boast an incredible fitness record. He has scored 16 goals in 18 La Liga appearances this season and has netted a further nine in other competitions to take his tally for the season to 25.
That leaves Lewandowski just short of the tally he achieved for Barcelona last season, which was comfortably his worst goalscoring season since his Bayern Munich debut in 2014/15 – 25 again, the figure that managed even then.
Isak hasn’t been as prolific as Lewandowski, although his start to the season was derailed by a toe injury, but he has been in fantastic form of late. Newcastlescoring in their last seven Premier League matches and with an average of one goal every 113 minutes played. He also scored in the Magpies’ 2-0 win over Arsenal in the first leg of the Carabao Cup semi-final.
Spanish publication Sports World Note that Isak, who cost Newcastle a club-record £63m when he joined Real Sociedad in 2022, is one of the leading candidates to replace Lewandowski as Barcelona know the Pole will inevitably start to slow down
Sporting CP goal machine Viktor Gyokeres is also being named as a key Barcelona target, although he, like Isak, is likely to cost Barcelona an extraordinary amount of money, something that the Catalan giants do not currently have while they continue navigating through a financial crisis.
Barcelona’Also highlighted is the desire to sign a left back capable of cutting inside, making reference recent interest in Manchester United’s Marcus Rashfordwho looks set to leave Old Trafford before the end of the January transfer window.
Nico Williams is the dream signing for Barcelona in this position – a bid to sign the Spaniard from Athletic Club did not materialize last summer – while Luis DÃaz from Liverpool and Rafael Leao from AC Milan also they are front and center on the club’s transfer radar.
Newcastle are understandably unwilling to sell Isak and are hoping to tie down the Sweden international on new and improved terms. Their chances of retaining him will increase with qualification for next season Champions League – Eddie Howe’s team are currently in fifth place Premier League table after winning five straight.
