Barcelona have been linked with just about every half-decent striker in Europe this transfer window: Nolito, Mario Mandzukic, Carlos Bacca, Mario Gomez, Kevin Gameiro and Luciano Vietto have all been run through the rumor mill. They've also looked to the other side of the pond, being linked with Andre-Pierre Gignac, Gabriel Jesus and Luan Vieira.
None of the strikers mentioned above, though, have signed for Barcelona. Manchester City poached Gabriel Jesus. Gameiro and Vietto swapped teams. Barcelona badly need a fourth forward to back up the best fprward line in the world, but the problem is none of the strikers they're after see themselves as backups.
Strikers at the level Barcelona are looking at don't want to sit on the bench and watch soccer. They want to play and score goals. "You'll probably get some substitute appearances and maybe you'll start if one of the big three gets hurt, but if they're all healthy you better cheer really loud from the bench" is not a situation an elite striker wants to find himself in. This is why Barcelona's most recent elite backup forward, Pedro, plays for Chelsea now.
Munir may see more action this year. Photo: @BarcaFiles | Twitter
Barcelona are a victim of their own success. There is no way to break into this forward line. Who's gonna sit on the bench if the backup striker gets hot? Messi? Neymar? Suarez? I don't think so. If the backup striker gets hot, he will continue to be hot while sitting on the bench until Barcelona really need him.
Their best bet might be a player like the Frenchman Gignac, who plays in Mexico and might be open to a move back to Europe simply for the wages. That said, Gignac is a hero to Tigres fans and is one of the best players in Liga MX, which is to say he gets a lot of playing time.
Hey, maybe Munir will magically get better.
Contact The18 Staff Writer Sam Klomhaus at Klomhaus@The18.com or follow him on Twitter @SamKlomhaus
