Even as Barcelona wait to know the full extent of Ousmane Dembele’s recent injury, the club are already on the lookout for possible replacements for the rest of the season.
La Liga allows its clubs to make ‘emergency signings’ even after the transfer window is shut and reports from Marca now claim that the Catalan giants are ready to trigger the release clause of Real Sociedad forward Willian Jose.
The 28-year-old has been a transfer target for the club for a while now and could cost around the €70million mark. But is he the right man for the side?
Willian Jose’s Numbers
Having previously spent time in Spain with Real Madrid, Real Zaragoza and Las Palmas, the Brazilian only managed to announce himself to the league when he moved to Anoeta back in 2016.
He has since registered 53 goals and 13 assists in 132 games for the club, and is one of the first names on the teamsheet. This season, he has scored eight goals in 17 league starts.
Known for his quick passing and link-up play, Jose loves to have the ball at his feet and can act as a playmaker in the final third. But in front of goal, he is lethal with his finishing makes him standout.
His movement and ability to find space in and around the box would make him a good fit for Quique Setien system at Camp Nou as well.
Right Man For Barcelona?
In spite of signing Antoine Griezmann in the summer, Barcelona are still short of strikers, especially after Luis Suarez’s injury.
Carlos Perez was allowed to join AS Roma in January. Ansu Fati may have been impressive, but is too young to carry the club in Europe.
So the short term solution of signing Willian Jose does make sense for the club. However, at 28, the Brazilian is a tad expensive a solution for the Spanish side.
Setien is also looking at Loren Moron and Angel Rodriguez, both of who are in decent form this season. But Jose’s experience makes him a slightly better option at the moment.
They will not be able to lure players from outside the top two divisions of the Spanish league till the next transfer window so either way, Barcelona are in trouble and need their squad players to step up for the rest of the season.