FC Barcelona's looking for reinforcements to improve its team for the upcoming season. In recent months, the names of Erling Haaland and Viktor Gyökeres have been strongly mentioned.
However, according to sources close to the club, both players have been ruled out. Joan Laporta's real target is another, and this could surprise many.
Marcus Rashford, Ruled out by Laporta
One of the names that circulated as a possible transfer was Marcus Rashford, Manchester United's forward. However, the English striker wouldn't fit into Barcelona's plans. Rashford's had a challenging season at Old Trafford.
After losing his starting position, his relationship with coach Rubén Amorim has deteriorated, and his performance has been questioned. Although he's become expendable for United, Laporta has decided not to bet on him.
The main reason for this decision is that Barça believes Rashford could create more problems than solutions. Moreover, the forward wouldn't provide the necessary level to improve the team's offensive options, so the club prefers to explore other alternatives.
Rafael Leão: Laporta's New Priority
Instead of Rashford, the name that has most captivated Joan Laporta is Rafael Leão. The Portuguese forward, who plays for AC Milan, has decided to end his time at the Italian club. After several disagreements with coach Paulo Fonseca, Leão's looking for a new destination, and La Liga seems like a very attractive option to him.
Barcelona has been one of the clubs interested in the player, and his agent, Jorge Mendes, has offered his transfer to the Catalan team. Compared to Rashford, Leão has shown a more consistent performance and has the profile Barça needs to strengthen its attack. Milan was asking for almost 100 million for Leão, but now they're willing to negotiate for about 65, which makes his transfer by Barça easier.
A Strategic Investment
Although the figure of 65 million is considerable, Laporta's willing to pay it for a player who could have an immediate impact on the team.
Leão's proven to be a versatile forward, with great dribbling ability and outstanding game vision. His transfer could bring the freshness that Barcelona's attack needs to compete at the highest level.