Blaugrana manager Guillermo Amor has insisted that there will be no Additional attacking reinforcements arriving at Camp Nou Prior to the winter deadline.
Barcelona have given up on trying to locate cover for the injured Luis Suarez in the January transfer market, according to the club’s director of institutional relations Guillermo Amor.
Suarez underwent an operation on a serious knee injury earlier this month and is not expected to return to action until May.
Summer signing Antoine Greizmann has adopted a more central role in the Uruguayan’s absence, with teenage starlet Ansu Fati also available to fill in and Ousmane Dembele near a comeback following an extended spell on the sidelines.
However, Suarez is the only natural centre-forward on Barca’s novels right now, with Lionel Messi still shouldering the principal goalscoring burden for the Spanish champions.
New boss Quique Setien had been tipped to add to his squad before the winter window slams shut, using lots of leading players around Europe being linked with a move to Camp Nou.
Valencia frontman Rodrigo has been thought to be top of Barca’s list of targets, but Target has reported that they were reluctant to meet the 28-year-old’s $60m (#51m/$66m) asking price.
The Blaugrana also have been credited with an interest in Inter’s Lautaro Martinez, and Neymar continues to be touted for a return to the club after trying to make a move away from Paris Saint-Germain last summer.
Camp Nou chief Amor has confirmed that Barca have finished their search for Suarez’s replacement, as he told reporters on Friday: “Closing the market tomorrow night there were no best options to track a good negotiation to help the team.”
It had been suggested that Barca would remember Philippe Coutinho from his loan spell at Bayern Munich with a view to putting him up for sale in order to raise funds for assaulting reinforcements.
A club spokesman issued a statement denying that the rumours, however, with the Brazil international set to stay at Allianz Arena until the end of the current season.
Barca are in Copa del Rey action against Leganes this day, where they will be looking to bounce back from a destructive 2-0 La Liga defeat to Valencia last weekend.
Setien will then begin preparing his side for Levante’s arrival at Camp Nou on Sunday before focus shifts to a tough away fixture against Real Betis seven days afterward.
