The urgent need to sign a new striker

The sporting department at FC Barcelona have made it very clear what area of the team needs strengthening: a new goalscoring striker. The idea is to wait until the summer to sign a new starting forward to replace Luis Suarez. It isn't only about ousting the Uruguayan hitman but rather adding something which has been missing ever since Paco Alcacer was sold. Very few teams at the highest level only have one out-and-out striker on their books when a team is competing across various competitions.

Barça are beginning to find it difficult to get ahead on the scoreline, especially away from home. Valverde hasn't found the answer to teams who set up purely to defend and Messi doesn't produce a moment of magic to rescue the result. Instead, the club has brought in stop-gap solutions such as Kevin-Prince Boateng and none of them have worked out.

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The injury to Suarez is a major concern although it doesn't appear to be serious. Yet the Uruguayan isn't getting any younger and the injuries are becoming more frequent. Barça decided against bringing in a top tier striker this summer in order to sign Griezmann and do all they could to lure Neymar back to the Camp Nou. In Suarez's absence, it'll hand a chance to Griezmann to make that role his own. If he does, it might solve a major problem for Valverde this season.