Barcelona dealt blow in pursuit of leading striker target – Football España

Barcelona are determined to sign a top-level attacker in the summer, and there is a big possibility is that a striker is the position targeted. Robert Lewandowski will be 37 at the start of next season, and although he is expected to remain at the club until 2026 at the earliest, there is a desire for his successor to be brought in as soon as possible.

In terms of striker targets, the name at the very top of the list is Alexander Isak. Barcelona sporting director Deco is a big fan of the Newcastle United superstar, to the point that conversations were even held with his representatives last summer, albeit nothing happened on that occasion.

Isak would be an ambitious signing for Barcelona given their well-documented financial woes, and the fact that Newcastle would demand a very high transfer fee. But things look even more impossible now for the Catalans, as it has been reported in England (via MD) that the Premier League side will not consider any offers for their Swedish striker during the summer transfer window, even if they fail to secure European qualification.

It means that Barcelona would have no chance to bring in Isak during the summer, so if Deco goes forward with his plans to sign a new striker, it would need to be someone else. There have been links with several other players, such as Viktor Gyokeres and Benjamin Sesko, although neither is as well-liked as Isak.

There is little doubt that Isak would be an extraordinary signing for Barcelona, but they would need to wait to bring him in. It may be worth using this summer to continue improving their finances to a position that they can spend really big on a player, which they can do for the Newcastle man in 2026 when Lewandowski is expected to leave.