Saudi Arabia concerned by Barcelona interest in prolific striker | OneFootball

Barcelona are planning to sign a new striker in the summer, as they seek to secure a replacement for Robert Lewandowski, who is expected to depart the Spotify Camp Nou when his contract runs out. Numerous targets have been drawn up in recent months, and one of those to be linked with the Catalan club is Borussia Dortmund’s Serhou Guirassy.

Earlier in the season, it was reported that Barcelona are able to sign Guirassy for €50m, which could be a good price for a player that has scored 56 goals in 89 appearances for Dortmund since his 2024 move from Stuttgart. He’s not high on their list of priorities for the striker position, but he’s high enough for Saudi Arabia to feel threatened in their own pursuit.

Alyaum (via Sport) have reported that Al-Ittihad are keen on Guirassy, but officials at the Saudi Pro League side are concerned about Barcelona coming to the table. The 30-year-old would welcome a move to Saudi Arabia in the summer, but if the La Liga leaders came calling, he would prioritise that option.

Barcelona prefer to sign Julian Alvarez

The good news for Al-Ittihad is that Julian Alvarez remains Barcelona’s leading striker target for the summer. If they manage to return to La Liga’s 1:1 rule before the season is over, the likelihood is that a move will be made for the Atletico Madrid forward, who would cost well in excess of €100m.

However, it is far from guaranteed that Barcelona will be able to spend big on a new striker, given they also have plans to address the centre-back and left wing positions. They may need to go for a low-cost option instead, which would still be good news for Al-Ittihad as Guirassy would  likely be considered too expensive.

It remains to be seen who Barcelona go for this summer, but it would be a surprise to see Guirassy become a concrete target.