Paco Alcacer has barely featured for Barcelona and could leave for first-team football in January with Southampton and Crystal Palace interested.
If you thought Barcelona’s Philippe Coutinho pursuit turned into a drawn-out saga, consider how long it took them to sign a back-up striker last summer.
Countless centre-forwards were linked with a glamorous move to the Camp Nou but, funnily enough, didn’t fancy challenging three of the greatest forwards in the modern era for a place in the starting XI.
However, while the likes of Kevin Gameiro and Nolito turned down the chance to sit on Barcelona’s undoubtedly comfy substitute’s bench, Valencia poacher Paco Alcacer jumped at the opportunity.
One of La Liga’s sharpest strikers and a fully-fledged Spanish international when he arrived in Catalonia last summer for a fee of £27 million (The Mail), Alcacer has predictably struggled for opportunities in side who can call on Lionel Messi and Luis Suarez.
The 24-year-old started just six La Liga games last season and one so far this. And, after Ernesto Valverde left him out of his squad for the Champions League clash with Sporting Lisbon, the Barca coach refused to rule out the possibility of Alcacer leaving in January, per the International Business Times.
Paco the poacher
And this could be music to the ears of both Crystal Palace and Southampton, who talkSPORT claim were both tracking Alcacer in the summer and are likely to renew their interest in January.
Palace are clearly desperate for a striker after failing to score in any of their first six Premier League games this season. With Christian Benteke sidelined for six weeks with a knee injury, reports in the Daily Star even claim they have turned to free-agent Carlton Cole in their desperation.
Southampton, too, are struggling for goals at the moment, failing to score in five of their seven games in all competitions under new manager Mauricio Pellegrino. However, Alcacer is a natural-born poacher who averaged a goal almost every other game in his final two years at Valencia so may be worthy of a hefty transfer fee.