Analysis: If rumours of Barcelona interest in Premier League forward are true, they are misguided

It is no secret that Barcelona are keen to strengthen their forward line this summer, in the knowledge that Robert Lewandowski is not getting any younger. With limited finances though, there are questions over exactly how they will recruit a top quality attacker to replace Lewandowski.

The Polish hitman turns 35 this year, and following the exit of Memphis Depay, Barcelona do not have an obvious option to even rotate Lewandowski out for the odd game. So far Ansu Fati and Ferran Torres have been occupying the spot whenever he has been absent, but without much impact.

The Blaugrana have been heavily linked with Athletico Paranaense forward Vitor Roque, who has been making waves in Brazil. He has previously admitted comparisons to Luis Suarez, although the price of his transfer will ultimately be the sticking point.

More recently, they have been linked with the latest breakout star in the Premier League. Brighton and Hove Albion striker Evan Ferguson has been causing quite the stir in England, making his international debut for Ireland last year and scoring against Latvia more recently.

At just 18, Ferguson already has 8 goals and 3 assists in his 19 senior appearances at Brighton. He has been linked with a number of major clubs already, including Manchester United, Arsenal, and Bayern Munich. MD have also carried a report from 90min that claims that Barcelona are also among the clubs watching him.

It makes sense that Barcelona are also watching one of the emerging talents in Europe, perhaps for a move down the line. Yet it seems unrealistic for Barcelona to have any designs on taking him to Spain any time soon, or to be Lewandowski’s back-up.

The Irish forward already has a host of clubs after him as listed, and given he is at a Premier League club, the fee to extract him from Brighton is likely to be well beyond Barcelona’s means. The Seagulls have already shown with Marc Cucurella they are prepared to hold out for a large fee.

Part of the reason that the likes of Roque are more attainable are the fact they are making the jump from Brazilian football. The links Barcelona have in South America, as well as the heritage they have of Brazilians triumphing at Camp Nou are areas they can exercise an advantage over Premier League clubs.

As has been seen with Raphinha, Lewandowski, or Jules Kounde, Barcelona are now relying on persuading players to play for them rather than using money as a persuasive tool That is the case with Roque, who has already declared his desire to play for the Blaugrana.

That attraction is far less with players growing up in Ireland or the United Kingdom. As Real Madrid are finding out with Jude Bellingham, Ferguson has far more of a pull to clubs in the Premier League than to Spain. While Latin American players can come to Spain and find the cultural differences minimised, those coming from the North-Atlantic archipelago are more likely to struggle in the Mediterranean. Overall, Ferguson might be talented enough to play for Barcelona, but recruiting him, or players like him, looks far trickier for Barcelona.

Tags Barcelona Bayern Munich Brighton and Hove Albion Evan Ferguson Manchester United
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