MLS and former Barcelona star Bojan Krkic believes La Blaugrana would be better off signing Liverpool forward Roberto Firmino instead of Inter Milan star Lautaro Martinez.
Argentine star Martinez has been strongly linked with a switch to Camp Nou at the end of the season, where he would team up with his national team colleague Lionel Messi, but former Barcelona attacker Bojan Krkic suspects that Martinez does not have the qualities that the LaLiga giants require, given their shape and style of playing football.
The 29-year-old has warned Barcelona that signing another out-and-out striker could prove to be an error, after the difficulty Antoine Griezmann has encountered from making his move to the Camp Nou from Atletico Madrid.
Although Luis Suarez has established himself as Barcelona’s main target man when fit, Griezmann has been forced into a wider role on the pitch deployed as a winger.
While speaking news outlet Sport, Bojan explained that Martinez remains well suited to Inter’s counter-attacking game, and stressed the 22-year-old was an “excellent” player, but expressed doubt over the Barcelona links, admitting, “Inter don’t usually take the initiative and that makes me think that Lautaro could occupy an area at Barca that is naturally not his. [That is] something that would certainly be a shame.
Bojan then revealed that Liverpool star Roberto Firmino would be an ideal candidate for Barcelona as he is great at linking up with teammates, “If you allow me a name, I would bet more on Firmino: a link player, with a lot of presence and great mobility. I do not intend that this reflection be interpreted as a refusal to sign the Argentine, but I understand that his profile must be analysed very well because it would be unforgivable that, as happened with Griezmann, we sign a striker to put him on the wing and then complain that it doesn’t work. That cannot happen again because, although it seems obvious, a nine is a nine. That is his natural habitat and to move him from there is to waste his talent. If Barca needs a nine, sign him, but do it to really use him.”
Firmino joined Liverpool from German side Hoffenheim back in 2015 and signed a long-term contract extension in April 2018. The Brazilian has become vital Jurgen Klopp’s team and played a key role in the Champions League triumph last season and top the Premier League table this term.
