Barcelona identify Man City star as Julian Alvarez alternative

FC Barcelona have identified Manchester City attacker Omar Marmoush as an alternative if the Blaugrana are unable to sign primary target Julian Alvarez, according to Sport.

Barca are hunting for a new No. 9 as current first-choice Robert Lewandowski will be 38 at the beginning of next season. The club knows the market will be complicated, as the scarcity of top-level players will drive their prices up, the report says.

Lewandowski has 10 goals in 20 league appearances, and he has only started 10 of those matches. In all competitions, he has 13 goals in 31 games, and if he stays at that level, it would be his lowest goals per game ratio since his first season at Borussia Dortmund.

Ferran Torres has been Barcelona’s alternative at centre-forward this season, and he leads the club with 12 La Liga goals. But it is likely that the club want a player who can rival the 23 goals that the league’s top scorer, Kylian Mbappe, has netted in as many appearances.

Marmoush’s form in Frankfurt makes him appeal to Barcelona

Marmoush has found minutes hard to come by in Manchester thanks to the dominance of Erling Haaland up front.

The Egypt international has just played just 445 Premier League minutes in 15 matches, of which he has started five. He has posted one goal and two assists in the league.

He scored once in Man City’s EFL Cup fourth-round win over Swansea, and he scored twice in the second leg of the semifinal tie against Newcastle United.

But Marmoush’s form at Eintracht Frankfurt may be a better indication of how he would translate to La Liga.

The Bundesliga, like La Liga, is more open than the physical Premier League. Marmoush the eye of all of Europe in his final half-season there before his Man City transfer with his tally of 20 goals and 13 appearances in 26 matches.

Like Barca’s top target, Alvarez, Marmoush can be both a goalscorer and provider, which could help get even more out of wingers Lamine Yamal and Raphinha.

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