Barcelona news this week: LaLiga give Barca green light to sign new striker outside transfer window
Barcelona have been given the green light from LaLiga to sign a new striker after winger Ousmane Dembele was ruled out for the rest of the season.
Dembele underwent an operation for a thigh injury last week and Barca announced that the French forward will be sidelined for six months.
LaLiga rules allow a club to bring in a new player outside the transfer window if a member of their first-team squad is out for five months or longer and Barca received permission from the league’s Competition Committee on Monday after sending a detailed medical report on Dembele.
With Luis Suarez also out until late April after knee surgery in January, signing a centre-forward is now the priority for the Spanish champions.
The new player, who would not be able to feature in the Champions League, would have to be from Spain’s two top divisions or currently unattached and Barca have already considered a number of options.
The Catalans have been put off by Real Sociedad’s €30-35 million asking price for Brazilian forward Willian Jose, but have been linked with a number of other players including Leganes’ Danish attacker Martin Braithwaite, who has a €20m release clause.
Getafe’s Angel Rodriguez has also emerged as a possible signing and would be available for around €10m.
Angel scored a superb volley for Getafe in their 2-1 defeat against Barcelona at Camp Nou in LaLiga on Saturday afternoon.
That win moved Barca provisionally level at the top of the table and Quique Setien’s side are now just a point behind Real Madrid with 24 rounds of matches completed after Los Blancos were held to a 2-2 draw at home to Celta Vigo on Sunday night.
Setien gave his players two-and-a-half days rest following Saturday's win, with the squad off until Tuesday afternoon ahead of an important week of matches.
Barca are at home to Eibar in LaLiga next Saturday, before travelling to Napoli for the first leg of their Champions League last-16 tie against the Italian side next Tuesday and then a visit to Real Madrid in the Clasico at the Santiago Bernabeu the following Sunday.
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