Ever since the departure of Samuel Eto’o in 2009, Barcelona have struggled to find a deadly “9” as a “plan B” for their possession-heavy style of play. Zlatan was played out of position and didn’t deliver as much as he could’ve Villa struggled after his injury. Alexis Sanchez eventually went out wide. Luis Suarez came in and immediately fit like a glove, thus forming the historically dominant MSN.
As we know now, the only problem with having such a dominant trio up top is the distribution of minutes for any other winger or striker. Since Suarez’ arrival, Barca has struggled to keep a strong back-up striker due to the lack of opportunities. Suarez has been Messi’s favorite partner on the pitch, and very few players have understood Messi the way Suarez does. However, Suarez is soon to be approaching his evident decline, and Barcelona
Munir was sold for a bag of potatoes, and Paco Alcacer is thriving in Dortmund with consistent minutes. With the season entering its most intensified part of the schedule, Valverde doesn’t seem to have a reliable replacement for Suarez. The Catalanes have their eyes on the market but have yet to find their ideal target. Is there anyone that can adapt to their required role?
Olivier Giroud
Hear me out. I’m aware that I’ve made my admiration for Giroud very public in recent years, but there’s actual logic behind this idea.
Giroud is a glorified goal-scorer that doesn’t require many minutes to put the ball in the back of the net. During his time at Arsenal and now at Chelsea, he’s scored numerous goals off the bench including some critical ones.
With the arrival of Gonzalo Higuain, Giroud might see his minutes being cut even shorter unless Morata leaves. The French striker is also accustomed to more of a play-making role, similar to his role with France in the World Cup. He’s a striker with a high IQ who can contribute offensively without scoring. He provides a big target in the box should Barcelona need to look for crosses. Lastly, his ability to press high will fit in with Barcelona’s philosophy. A clinical and experienced striker is exactly what the doctor ordered.
2018-2019: 5 goals in 10
Transfer Fee: €15 mil
Javier Hernandez
Hernandez has made a name for himself for being a clinical goal scorer everywhere he goes. Most notably, he was seen as an emergency striker for Manchester United and Real Madrid where he scored some very important goals. “Chicharito” isn’t the most tactical player and can’t contribute to the creation of plays the way Suarez or even Giroud do, but he would be the closest thing to a Larsson that Barcelona could find – a striker you throw in during times of desperation who can score some ugly but effective goals. He’s now 30 years old, and West Ham isn’t competing for anything this season. A loan for the rest of the season could easily happen.
2018-2019: 4 goals in 17 games
Best Season: 17 goals in 28 games for Bayer Leverkusen
Transfer Fee: €12 mil
Kevin Gameiro
The French striker has struggled to get minutes with Valencia following his transfer from Atletico Madrid. However, he’s known as a proven striker when given the opportunities. Between 2013-14 and 2016-17, Gameiro reached double digits in goals three times while starting less than 23 games per season.
Despite falling down to third in the pecking order for strikers during his last season at Atletico, the Frenchmen still scored seven goals, making him the third-highest goal scorer for Simeone’s men. His transfer value has clearly declined since his Sevilla days but he’s a player that’s hungry for the spotlight and a chance to prove himself once again. Coming to Barcelona would mean rare starts, but being the “emergency plan” for Barcelona in crucial games would be a hell of an accomplishment in his quest for redemption.
2018-2019: 2 goals in 23 games for Valencia
Best season: 22 goals in 36 appearances for Lorient
Transfer Feet: €12 mil
Daniel Sturridge
Daniel Sturridge isn’t the same Sturridge that Suarez left in Liverpool back in 2014, but he’s evolved into a strong back-up forward under Klopp. He’s seen his starting position surrendered to one of Europe’s most captivating trios in Mane, Firmino, and Salah, but he continues to score important goals when given the chance.
His versatility up top allows him to play both out wide and as the 9, meaning that Barcelona could use him as a rotational player when needed – a tactic they tried with Paco Alcacer at times but failed miserably.
The only conflict would be that as part of Coutinho’s transfer, Barcelona promised Liverpool they wouldn’t buy another one of their players, and the fee to do so would be an additional €100 million. So, unless Barcelona think that Sturridge is worth that much, it’s not very possible.
2018-2019: 7 goals in 12 appearances
Best Season: 21 goals in 29 games for Liverpool
Transfer Fee: €15 mil (+ €100 in Coutinho transfer)
Replacement Within
Valverde has communicated that there are certain players who might be capable of filling in that “9” role. He’s played Dembele at the “9” in the last few games that he’s benched Suarez, but it’s evident that Dembele’s best position is on the wing.
Arturo Vidal’s name has been mentioned by Valverde as another possible replacement. Vidal links well with Messi. He’s superb in the air, a great finisher, and has an eye for goal. Although it sounds outrageous at first, perhaps Vidal isn’t such a terrible choice.
Lastly, Malcolm has been fighting for minutes, and Valverde realizes it. He’s contemplated the idea of playing Malcolm in that central role he’s more accustomed to. The Brazilian seems to create many chances for himself when given an opportunity.
Juggling World Class players isn’t something Valverde’s ever done in his career, and he’s quickly comprehending why most Barcelona managers end up exhausted after a few years. To have a Champions League winning side, a team has to rely on one or two key players that can come off the bench and make an impact in the game. One of them is preferably a striker. However, with a striker so durable like Luis Suarez, it’s difficult to find one and keep him sharp. Don’t get it twisted, Barcelona needs a solution. But, only Valverde can decide which way he’ll go.
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