2 weeks ago
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Spanish soccer legend Gaizka Mendieta has suggested that Barcelona could target Liverpool forward Alexander Isak in the future.
The former Barca midfielder is mindful of Robert Lewandowski's circumstances in Catalonia and reckons his former club may set its sights on Isak. Polish icon Lewandowski, who boasts 105 goals in 156 outings for Barca, celebrated his 37th birthday in August and is naturally approaching the twilight of a legendary career.
He possesses a deal at the Camp Nou set to run out next summer, although Barcelona retain the option to prolong his tenure by a further 12 months. Isak, 26, remains in his peak years and was the focus of a Premier League record £125 million ($167 million) switch from Newcastle to Anfield during the summer.
And despite the ink having barely dried on his contract, the Swede could be departing once more should Barcelona make its approach, according to Mendieta.
"There was talk in Spain of Alexander Isak going to Barcelona before he joined Liverpool, who are stronger financially," he told OLBG.
"Of course there will be links between the best strikers and Real Madrid and Barcelona, at the moment Barca still have Robert Lewandowski, but they'll be looking for his replacement next year, and Isak will be looked at.
"He's a great striker, he's been in La Liga already, he knows the competition. His performances last season for Newcastle were amazing.
"So far he seems to be settling quickly into Liverpool. Great strikers are never short of offers and opportunities in either Premier League or of course in Spain with the bigger clubs."
Isak has found the net once in six outings for the Reds since finally completing his departure from Newcastle on deadline day. His arrival hasn't delivered the success story Arne Slot would have envisaged thus far, with Liverpool suffering defeat in its last three matches.
Indeed, fellow summer acquisition Hugo Ekitike has arguably proven the more impressive addition for the Reds in attack this season. The Frenchman began his Merseyside journey by netting in his opening two Premier League appearances.
Regarding Mendieta's assertion about Barcelona's pursuit of Isak, it's challenging to see how such a move could come to fruition. The Spanish club's financial situation has dominated headlines in recent years, with the club battling to meet La Liga's salary cap requirements at various points.
This has sparked uncertainty over whether new arrivals like Marcus Rashford or Dani Olmo could be registered while remaining within Spain's spending regulations. Furthermore, Barca's expenditure ceiling is anticipated to face further reductions following examination of the club's financial projections concerning projected ticket revenue at the Camp Nou.
Furthermore, there's the not-so-small issue of Barcelona being able to afford a transfer fee for Isak. Unless there's a significant dip in form, it's understandable that the Reds would want to turn a profit on the striker if he were to be sold in the near future, and currently, it doesn't seem like Barca has the financial muscle to splash out more than $167 million on a single player.
Mendieta might be correct in suggesting that the former Real Sociedad star could be the perfect replacement for Lewandowski in terms of style. However, persuading Liverpool to let go of its leading man anytime soon might be a bit of a tall order.
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