Barcelona are considering a move for Sporting striker Luis Suarez as an alternative to Julian Alvarez, according to transfer reporter Fabrizio Romano.
Alvarez is Barcelona’s priority for the striker position following Robert Lewandowski’s departure and the imminent exit of Ferran Torres, who is close to joining Paris Saint-Germain.
Atletico Madrid are not prepared to listen to offers for Alvarez, making a deal complicated for the Catalonian club.
Romano now reports that they could consider a move for Suarez if Atletico do not change their stance on Alvarez.
The Colombia international joined Sporting from Almeria last summer and enjoyed an excellent debut campaign with the Portuguese side.
Suarez scored 38 goals and provided nine assists in 54 games across all competitions. He won the Primeira Liga Golden Boot and was named in the Team of the Season.
The 28-year-old’s numbers compared favourably to other strikers in Europe’s top seven leagues.
He ranked higher than the 97th percentile for both non-penalty goals and non-penalty expected goals, while ranking in the 78th percentile for conversion rate.
Suarez also ranked in the 98th percentile for expected assists, highlighting his ability to influence games without scoring.
The Sporting striker has La Liga experience, although his record in the competition was underwhelming, with 23 goals and 10 assists in 100 appearances.
Suarez has an €80 million release clause, a fair price for a striker coming off the back of an outstanding season and has four years remaining on his contract.
Barcelona could step up their interest in the Colombian striker late in the transfer window if they fail to land Alvarez.
Stats for datamb.football & Transfermakt