Barcelona consider Villarreal transfer as Robert Lewandowski alternative

Barcelona are said to have the option of signing one of Villarreal’s prize assets this summer.

The Blaugrana are being heavily linked with a move for Robert Lewandowski, who has already made it clear he wants to leave Bayern Munich this summer.

The seasoned goalscorer could go for a fee of around €40million, but according to Sport, Barca could land Villarreal star Gerard Moreno for the same fee.

Gerard is under contract until 2027 at Estadio de la Ceramica, carrying a €100million release clause.

He remains, arguably, Villarreal’s most dangerous player, but he is coming off a season where he played less than half of the club’s La Liga games due to injury.

And according to the report, the Yellow Submarine may be willing to sell Gerard for €40million this summer.

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It’s reported Barca are aware they have the option of sealing a return to Catalonia for Gerard if the Lewandowski deal doesn’t pan out, but they are not currently pursuing a deal.

It’s also reported Atletico Madrid are keeping eyes on the situation, losing Luis Suarez this summer.

It’s surprise news given just how much Villarreal value Gerard, and €40million appears extremely low given when Villarreal stand to lose from the situation.

Beyond Gerard, the Yellows have struggled up top, and their track record for signing strikers is not particularly good over recent years.

Villarreal will have options to bring in big money from the likes of Pau Torres and Arnaut Danjuma, so it seems very unlikely they will allow a cut-price deal for Gerard.

We’re not giving this report much worth at the moment, especially given the likelihood Barca actually do pull off the Lewandowski deal, which appears more likely than not with each passing day.