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What's the story?
La Liga giants Barcelona are reportedly looking at five players to replace striker Luis Suarez, following the former Liverpool star's admission of the Catalan club's plans.
In case you didn't know...
Suarez recently admitted that Barcelona may already be looking for his replacement but the 31-year-old striker is unfazed by the club's attempts.
Speaking in an interview with Radio Sport 890 (via Marca), the Uruguayan said, "Of course Barcelona need a No.9, as I'm 31 years old,"
"Barcelona have to think as a club about their future, and players obviously have to keep coming in. We're in Barcelona, every day there are many names that are going to be linked," said the striker.
The heart of the matter
According to Marca, the Catalan giants are looking into five players who could serve as a replacement for Suarez.
The first player to be scouted by Barcelona is Polish striker Krzysztof Piatek, who has scored nine goals in 10 Serie A games for Genoa so far this season.
The second option is Spanish forward Paco Alcacer, who is on loan from Barcelona at Borussia Dortmund at the moment. Alcacer has scored seven goals in four Bundesliga appearances so far and three goals in two games for his national side.
The third player to be scouted by the Catalan side is 23-year-old Nicolas Pepe, who has bagged seven goals and seven assists for Lille OSC so far this campaign.
The final two players are Barcelona's more unrealistic options - RB Leipzig's Timo Werner and Inter Milan's Lautaro Martinez.
Luis Suarez has netted 158 goals in 212 official appearances for Barcelona, his most recent being his El Clasico hattrick against Real Madrid on Sunday.
Rumor rating: 8/10
Marca is usually reliable in news pertaining to La Liga and we echo Suarez's words in saying that it is only normal for Barcelona to be looking for his replacements as the striker nears the end of his career.
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What's next?
While the Uruguayan was subject to some criticism at the beginning of the season, he has quickly made up for it with his scintillating performances, especially in Sunday's El Clasico, where he was under considerable pressure in the absence of Lionel Messi.
The Catalan giants are set to face Rayo Vallecano on Sunday.
