Transfer Talk: Barca draw up list of Lewandowski replacements

Barcelona have drawn up an 11-man list of replacements for Robert Lewandowski as they look for a long-term successor to the Pole.

The LaLiga champions have been among the top scorers in Spain's top flight once again this season but cannot rely on their 35-year-old talisman forever.

According to SPORT, Manchester United forward Anthony Martial heads the wish list after falling out of favour with Erik ten Hag and could make a switch to the Blaugrana on a free transfer when his contract expires next June.

Ollie Watkins of Aston Villa and Evan Ferguson of Brighton are two other Premier League stars who have been identified by Xavi but would likely command a sizeable fee to prise them away from their respective clubs.

Elsewhere, Napoli sensation Victor Osimhen appears to be the premium option available to Barca but again any deal would be dependent on the financial situation at the club and players would have to be sold if they wanted to meet his £100million valuation.

Should the five-time European champions opt to pursue some cheaper alternatives, then Lille frontman Jonathan David and Juventus ace Moise Kean could make the cut.

Barca finished as LaLiga's joint-second highest scorers behind Real Madrid last term and have already bagged 23 times in 11 matches in 2023-24.

Lewandowski was responsible for 23 of the 70 strikes recorded in their title-winning campaign but with the ex-Bayern Munich striker not getting any younger, it may be time to find a suitable heir to the No9 shirt.

In other news

TEAMTalk suggest Real Madrid want to sign Chelsea captain Reece James but will have to fork out a huge sum for his services.

Italian sources claim AC Milan want to rival Tottenham for the signing of Bournemouth centre-back Lloyd Kelly while a number of other European clubs are interested in the 25-year-old.

Manchester United want to recruit another striker to partner Rasmus Hojlund and ease the burden on the young Dane, according to The Daily Mail.