Luis Enrique looks to have found the player he wants as his backup forward, with the club supposedly in advanced talks with the player and Sevilla over his signing but he might face late competition for the striker.
According to Sport, in Spain Atletico Madrid have submitted a late bid for the player offering 20 million plus Luciano Vietto in a player/cash swap deal. Gameiro scored 16 goals in 31 appearances in La Liga last season.
The Frenchman helped Sevilla lift their 3rd successive Europa League title as they defeated Liverpool in the final of the tournament. Leo Messi, Luis Suarez and Neymar will be at the forefront of Barcelona’s attack one again next season.
But the problem that lies ahead for Enrique is the bench strength. Barcelona suffered a mid-season slump last campaign that almost cost them the title. But the Thee Kings clicked into gear just in the nick of time to haul them over the line.
The manager understandably does not want a repeat of the same events this season and is on the lookout for a backup option in case he needs to change things up in a match. But his plans might be wrecked after a late bid by Atletico Madrid.
The Catalans have so far completed deals for Denis Suarez, Samuel Umtiti, Lucas Digne and more recently Andre Gomez. Gameiro would become Barcelona’s fifth summer signing and the man who give variety to their attack.
Atletico also need reinforcements up front. Antoine Griezmann is not an out and out striker. Diego Simeone has made due for two seasons without a recognised forward ever since Diego Costa joined the ranks of Chelsea.
Despite Griezmann having been so effective for his team Simeone recognises the importance of having a top striker at his disposal. Whether his late bid will succeed or not is still up in the air but it shows how desperate he is.
