January 28, (THEWILL) – As the transfer window hurtles towards its end, Barcelona are optimistic of completing a deal for Alvaro Morata, with Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang of Arsenal also on their wish list.
The Atletico Madrid forward is currently on loan at Juventus, but has been linked with a move to Barça for some time. The deal was thought to be close to completion at the start of the window, but almost a month later, no agreement has been achieved.
Yet, Barcelona has not given up hope of luring Morata to the club, with insiders claiming that the club is certain Morata will sign before Monday’s deadline.
Xavi is said to be a huge fan of the striker and pushed the Blaugrana to sign him in December. However, the deal’s specific structure is unknown. Because of the Catalan giants’ financial problems, a permanent deal would almost certainly necessitate someone leaving the club, making a loan more viable.
If this is not possible, Barcelona has a contingency plan in place. They have long admired Aubameyang, who was recently stripped of his Arsenal captaincy following the latest in a series of disciplinary issues.
Last week, the striker was the subject of a loan offer from Al-Nassr in Saudi Arabia, who were even willing to pay all of his salaries. That transfer did not appeal to the player, and there are also doubts about whether he would want to join Barcelona because he prefers living in London.
In the event that Morata joins the Blaugrana, Aubameyang might become a viable alternative for Juventus.
In other news, Barça and Wolves are getting closer to a deal for Adama Traore, who was a Tottenham target earlier this month. On Friday, Traore was in Catalonia for a medical ahead of final contract signing.
Jude Obafemi is a versatile senior Correspondent at THEWILL Newspapers, excelling in sourcing, researching, and delivering sports news stories for both print and digital publications.
