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Spanish giants Barcelona are reportedly interested in signing promising Athletic Bilbao forward Oihan Sancet. The La Liga giants are looking to sign a top-quality striker this summer.
According to Fichajes, the Blaugrana have been tracking the progress of the 21-year-old forward this season. They are also bracing themselves for the potential departures of Luuk de Jong and Martin Braithwaite in the summer.
De Jong arrived at Camp Nou on a season-long loan from Sevilla last summer. The Dutch forward has scored just four times in 15 appearances across competitions for Xavi's side this season. Considering his underwhelming returns, he is likely to return to Sevilla after his loan deal expires.
Meanwhile, the Blaugrana spent €18 million to sign Martin Braithwaite from Leganes in February 2020, due to a shortage of strikers. The Dane has scored just ten goals in 56 appearances with his new club, and is now considered surplus to requirements by manager Xavi.
The Blaugrana are, therefore, considering a move for Bilbao forward Sancet in the summer. The 21-year-old has scored four times and provided three assists in 16 La Liga appearances for Bilbao this season.
Blaugrana president Joan Laporta is reportedly keen to add young Spanish players to his squad. The club currently possesses a core group of Spanish youngsters, including Pedri and Gavi, around whom they could look to build a squad for the future.
Barcelona could resume their pursuit of Alvaro Morata next summer
According to barcablaugranes, the Blaugrana are keen to sign striker Alvaro Morata during the ongoing transfer window. The Spaniard is currently on loan at Juventus from Atletico Madrid till the end of the season.
Juventus initially signed Morata on a season-long loan deal from Atletico in the summer of 2020. The 29-year-old managed 20 goals in 44 appearances across competitions for the Bianconeri, which prompted Juventus to extend his loan deal by another year.
Morata has scored seven goals in 26 games for the Bianconeri this season. The striker was heavily linked with a move to Camp Nou during the ongoing transfer window. The Blaugrana reportedly viewed the Juventus loanne as the ideal replacement for Sergio Aguero, who was forced into early retirement after being diagnosed with heart arrhythmia.
Reports suggested that Morata's parent club, Atletico Madrid, sought a fee in the region of €40 million for the former Chelsea striker. That proved to be a major obstacle for the Blaugrana, who are in a dire financial situation.
Barcelona could, however, resume their pursuit of the 29-year-old if they sell De Jong, Braithwaite and Aston Villa loanee Philippe Coutinho next summer. The departure of the aforementioned trio could help Barcelona raise the required fund, and create space in the squad for Morata.
