The identikit of the forward that Barça want to sign

The identikit of the forward that Barça want to sign

Within FC Barcelona, the fact that Luciano Vietto and Kevin Gameiro have both slipped away is not being treated as a drama.

The two targets have chosen different destinations, with Vietto deciding to join Sevilla to get playing time, and Gameiro on his way to Atletico for an elevated price.

Barça still have many quality forwards in their sights, the priority now is to analyse the options and find the ideal candidate.

Luis Enrique has already made clear that he does not want a winger, who can play through the centre at times.

He wants a pure striker, a goal scorer who can finish quickly and decisively.

The player's dribbling abilities do not matter, only his efficiency in front of goal and his capacity for finding space.

A footballer who can sniff out chances, bearing in mind the quantity of balls which will come his way in a team like Barça.

The Catalan club have looked at many profiles, but now it seems clear that the best bet, in the case of spending a lot of money, would be to bring in a young attacker.

A player that already has experience as a main centre forward, and who has a desire to improve at the Camp Nou.

Someone competitive and hungry, prepared to join the Blaugrana as their fourth forward in the squad.

It should be noted that Neymar will not be present at the start of the season, due to his involvement at the Olympic Games, and it is vital to find a complement to the front line for these first official games.

Having moved away from the option of signing an older player, the options of Mario Gomez, Robin van Persie and Carlos Bacca have faded.

Meanwhile, Deportivo striker Lucas Perez is negotiating with Sevilla.

There are options on the table.

Both Santi Mina of Valencia and Ayoze Perez of Newcastle have the qualities being sought, they are young and have experience of playing in Spain.

In Mina's case, Luis Enrique knows him well, but his price may be too high as Valencia do not want to sell the player.

Barça have followed the progress of Ayoze in recent months, though those close to him have not heard anything further.

Robert Fernandez has had a successful summer in terms of signings so far, and he does not want to rush anything.

The sporting area of the club have insisted that calmness is the watchword, in order to get things right.

There is a clear idea about how to progress, and they are working behind the scenes to sign somebody as soon as possible.