FC Barcelona have once again renewed their interest in Girona striker Cristhian Stuani who saw his team relegated from the Spanish top flight after having a brilliant individual season.
According to the Madrid based outlet MARCA, the Uruguayan International’s future at Montilivi is full of uncertainty and Barcelona aren’t the only club who want to sign the 32-year-old.
During a national team meet up, the Girona forward said he hasn’t discussed his future with Girona yet, but there are clubs who like him which is a compliment.
The 32-year-old striker managed 20 goals in 34 appearances across all competitions this past.
Cristhian Stuani at Camp Nou: A good fit?
Stuani is a versatile player who predominantly features as a centre-forward but possesses the ability to play on either wing in case the situation arises.
The Girona man finished the season 5th in the list of goal scorers in the Spanish top flight which highlights his goal-scoring prowess.
The 32-year-old is a great header of the ball, and his aerial prowess remains one of the many reasons he racks up such numbers in front of the goal.
The Uruguayan averages 1.1 headed shots per game and remains a constant threat for the opposition inside the penalty box.
Stuani likes to cut inside on his right foot and is a lethal finisher in the final third but the key areas which remain a concern for the Girona striker are his passing and crossing especially if he signs up with a team like Barca. Stuani averaged a 66.3% passing accuracy and averaged close to 0 crosses per game.
From an economic perspective, this signing again makes no sense. The release clause of the Uruguayan is alleged to be around €15m, paying that sum of money for someone who turns 33 two months into the next season makes very less sense.
The average age of the Blaugrana squad is already pretty high with the majority of the starting XI north of 30 years of age, adding another 30+ striker doesn’t sound fruitful in the long run.
Barcelona are the only club where players sign up and take time to adjust to the club’s philosophy and playing style. If that remains the case with the Uruguayan who will have less playing time than usual because of Luis Suarez being the primary striker, it would be curtains down for Stuani even before he can make his mark on the pitch.
One recent example is Kevin Prince Boateng who signed up with the Catalan club in the winter transfer window and featured in only 4 games across 5 months; that’s almost a game a month.
Stat Courtesy: Whoscored, Transfermarkt
