Barcelona Intensifies Search For Robert Lewandowski’s Successor

Barcelona are still focusing on their Robert Lewandowski succession plans, with reports again naming Alexander Isak as a leading transfer target.

At 36 years old, Lewandowski shows no signs of slowing down and maintains an impressive fitness level. This season, he has already scored 16 goals in 18 La Liga matches, along with nine more in other competitions, bringing his total to 25 goals.

That leaves Lewandowski just one shy of the figure he achieved for Barcelona last season, which was comfortably his worst goalscoring season since his debut campaign at Bayern Munich during 2014/15 – 25 again the figure he achieved even then.

Isak may not have been as prolific as Lewandowski, as his season got off to a rough start due to a toe injury.

However, he has been in excellent form recently for Newcastle, scoring in his last seven Premier League matches and averaging a goal every 113 minutes.

Additionally, he found the back of the score in the Magpies’ 2-0 victory over Arsenal in the first leg of their Carabao Cup semi-final.

According to Spanish publication Mundo Deportivo, Isak, who set a club record with his £63 million transfer from Real Sociedad to Newcastle in 2022, is a top contender to succeed Lewandowski. Barcelona is aware that the Polish striker will eventually start to slow down.

Sporting CP goal machine Viktor Gyokeres is also named as a key Barcelona target, though he, like Isak, is likely to cost Barcelona an extraordinary amount of money something the Catalan giants don’t currently have as they continue to navigate a financial crisis.

Barcelona’s interest in signing a left winger who can cut inside is also emphasized. They have recently shown interest in Manchester United’s Marcus Rashford, who is expected to leave Old Trafford before the end of the January transfer window.

Nico Williams is the dream signing for Barcelona in that position. A bid to sign the Spaniard from Athletic Club failed to come to fruition last summer while Liverpool’s Luis Diaz and AC Milan’s Rafael Leao are also front and center of the club’s transfer radar.

Newcastle, understandably, is reluctant to sell Isak and aims to secure the Swedish international with new and improved terms.

Their chances of keeping him will increase if they qualify for next season’s Champions League, as Eddie Howe’s team currently sits fifth in the Premier League table after achieving five consecutive wins.