The sporting director of Barcelona is also combing the transfer market with an eye to the future. Not only are they looking to sign young players with great potential, but they are also interested in medium- and long-term planning to replace the more veteran players whose contracts are coming to an end. A clear example is Robert Lewandowski, who will end his contract with the Catalan club on June 30, which is why Deco and his scouts are looking for a striker who can replace the Polish player with guarantees and who is married to the goal.
The fact is that Barcelona has a fairly young squad that looks set to stay and make its mark. The signing of Joan García, if it goes through, promises to secure the goalkeeping position for the next decade, while the defense is also covered with Pau Cubarsí, Araújo, Balde, Koundé, Eric García, and company, along with any possible moves that may occur. Midfield is where there is the most peace of mind, as Pedri, De Jong, Gavi, Fermín, Dani Olmo, the Marcs, Casadó, and Bernal are all set to make their careers at Can Barça for several seasons. Up front, with Lamine Yamal, Raphinha, and Ferran Torres, it seems that the arrival of a striker who can succeed veteran Lewandowski will be necessary.
Lewandowski’s replacement
Robert Lewandowski’s contract expires on June 30, 2026, although there is the option of renewing for one more season. For this to happen, a number of conditions would have to be met, but the truth is that when the season officially begins in a few weeks, the former Bayern Munich player will be 37 years old. No one can deny that the Polish player continues to perform at a level that very few reach at his age, but this season will allow Barça to decide whether they want to keep him, although the striker’s decision will also be important, as he could end his time in Barcelona or consider hanging up his boots.
That is why Deco and the Blaugrana sporting management have several names on their list as candidates to replace Robert Lewandowski once the Polish player leaves Camp Nou. Right now, goals are highly sought after and very expensive, and one of the few strikers on the market is Viktor Gyokeres, who has excelled in the last two years with Sporting Portugal, but the truth is that the Swede is going to slip away from Barcelona because the soap opera surrounding his signing for Arsenal is practically over.
The Gyökeres option fades
The nearly 100 goals he has scored with the Lisbon club have led the world’s biggest clubs to take an interest in him, and Barcelona was not going to be left out. The big problem for the Catalan club is that the Swede wanted to leave Sporting Portugal this summer and has declared himself in rebellion after the Portuguese club blocked the offers that came in for him. In fact, Viktor Gyöeres had an agreement with Arsenal, but negotiations became so tense that they were on the verge of breaking down.
As uncertainty about his future continued to grow, clubs such as Manchester United tried to get involved in the negotiations, but it seems that the Old Trafford club has failed to convince the Nordic player. According to Record, Arsenal have managed to get Sporting Portugal to accept their latest offer and in the next few days Viktor Gyökeres will become a Gunner for a fee of around €75 million, €10 million of which is in bonuses that are easy to meet.