The 2019-20 season has proven to be a tough one for Barcelona, especially with their much-needed manager change and a massive number of injury problems.
With that in mind, the Blaugrana side is set to exploit a loophole in La Liga's rules to sign a new striker to help out in La Liga, but they don't want to spend top dollar in a desperate signing due to a long-term plan being worked on by the team's hierarchy.
According to reports coming in from Spain, Barcelona's plan to sign a La Liga striker are still on, with the league set to grant them permission to pursue the signing of a domestic player. However, their options would forcefully mean they have to spend big bucks on a short-term solution, which means that Real Sociedad's Willian José, with a buyout clause of over $70M, is almost out of the race to become Barcelona's fill-in at No.9.
The report by Marca suggests that Loren Moron (Betis) and Angel Rodríguez (Getafe) are the most viable options for the Blaugrana side, especially when their long-term plan includes signing Lautaro Martínez away from Inter on a cut-price deal.
According to another report by the Daily Mail, Martínez has been ear-marked as the top priority for Barcelona in the winter transfer window, even if they need to splash over $120M for Inter's standout performer, who has scored 11 goals in all comps for the nerazzurri. Furthermore, his partnership with Lionel Messi when on international duty with Argentina make him the rightful heir to Luis Suárez's spot in years to come.
The deal to sign Martínez is the main reason why Barcelona does not want to sign a high-priced striker for the next few months, especially if they want to sign the 22-year-old for a long spell. The upcoming week will be crucial to Barcelona's options, as La Liga's medical board will determine if they are allowed to sign one more player to give them a life line in an injury-plagued season.
