Barcelona has turned their eyes to Villarreal’s forward as option if they fail to land Bayern Munich star Robert Lewandowski.
Barcelona has identified Villarreal forward Gerard Moreno as an alternative option for Robert Lewandowski, if they fail to sign the Polish.
The Poland international has made his intention clear that he wants to leave the German club despite having a year left on his contract.
The Spanish publication claim Moreno has a €100m (£85m) release clause in his Villarreal contract but last season’s Champions League semi-finalists may consider an offer in the region of €40m (£34m).
The 30-year-old Moreno, a Spain international, scored 13 goals in 26 appearances for Villarreal last season. Sport also reports that Atletico Madrid also hold an interest in Moreno, with Diego Simeone considering him as a possible replacement for Luis Suarez.
But it is Lewandowski who Barcelona are going all out for and the 33-year-old has made a public plea for Bayern to let him go.
“I’m not a selfish person,” he said in an interview with Bild. “I know what I had at Bayern and appreciate it very much.
“I also know that I’ve been doing my best not to disappoint the club and the fans for the past eight years. After this time I feel that it is time for a new stage.
“I respect Bayern and its rules. But changes, especially after such a time, are part of the life of the club and the player. I hope that doesn’t come across as selfish. I have a contract, but I also tried to make it clear to the club how I feel.
“I’ve always tried to do my best for Bayern to meet the expectations of the team and the fans. I appreciate the Bayern fans, they have always supported me. If I wasn’t honest about my situation, I would feel like I wasn’t being fair to the fans.”
