Barcelona finally got some sort of a reprieve after they were allowed to bring in another player. With injuries mounting on their end, the Royal Spanish Football Federation (RFEF) gave the Spanish champions a 15-day emergency window to sign up for another striker. However, their options could be limited.
Barca can only add players who are free agents or tied with another La Liga club, Goal.com reported. Hence, they are not allowed to get players outside the domestic market. In short, selling players are not allowed, possibly making it doubly hard for Quique Setien to get a quality and reliable player to help their campaign.
Barcelona FC found itself undermanned with Luis Suarez and Ousmane Dembele out of action. Suarez has yet to fully recover from a knee injury, although reports are claiming that the 33-year-old could be back in action soon. However, even if Suarez returns, there is no telling the kind of condition he would be in. He is unlikely to be at 100-percent and may not be as effective for Barca.
Dembele, on the other hand, has been ruled out for the season. The 22-year-old French forward saw his La Liga season come to an unfortunate end after suffering a hamstring tear. He has undergone surgery and is not expected to return for six months, BBC Sports reported.
Barcelona has been leaning on Lionel Messi and Antoine Griezzman to keep the team afloat. Together with Frenkie de Jong, Sergio Busquets, and Clement Lenglet, Setien has found a way to make things work. However, he knows that this may not hold up forever. Overusing Messi at this point could backfire, possibly adding to their injury woes.
As of this writing, Barcelona is at second in the La Liga table behind Real Madrid. Whoever they get can surely improve their campaign hopes with names like Angel Rodriguez of Getafe, Lucas Perez of Alaves, Roger Marti, and Martin Braithwaite often linked to the ballclub.
Braithwaite seems to be the player Barca is likely to sign. Per Barcablaugranes.com, Barcelona is willing to pay his release clause worth about €18 million. If all falls into place, the signing could be consummated soon. Negotiations are reportedly underway, and Barca could hand the striker a three-and-a-half-year deal that would run until 2023. If both camps are able to agree, it would be a bit of a surprise considering the forward played in the English Championship just two seasons ago before moving to Leganes.
