Paco Alcacer linked with Real Betis
The 24-year-old’s two-year stay at the club could be coming to an end.
According to Sport, Alcacer is a summer target for Quique Setien as he prepares for European football. Real Betis managed to finish in sixth place with Setien’s ideas proving to be a huge success. The 2013/14 season was the last time they played in Europe with local rivals Sevilla knocking them out on penalties in the Europa League Round of Sixteen. Therefore, this is an exciting time for Beticos with Setien’s reputation continuing to grow.
Alcacer would add to their forward options, which currently includes Antonio Sanabria, Sergio Leon and Loren Moron. They need additional depth to their squad to avoid fatigue, and a downturn in their league form, due to the additional matches next season. However, it isn’t clear how much he would cost.
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This would be a good move for Alcacer because he is a talented striker, but Barcelona is too big a club for him to be a starter. He has been a capable deputy, but this move would give him a much bigger role and allow him to show off his talents. It could also be a route for him back into the national team fold. Alcacer was excellent at Valencia, so it wouldn’t be a surprise to see him return to that level of performance. However, he will only move if the club want him to leave based on the initial report.
Who takes his spot?
His departure would leave an important position in the team that needs to be filled. The club has spent heavily in recent seasons with this likely to continue this summer. Therefore, they will probably look internally for a solution or already have someone lined up for the back-up role.
Munir has been on loan at Deportivo Alaves for the past season, where he notched 10 goals and provided 6 assists in 33 games. This spell away from the club has allowed him to develop significantly. The only issue is that his contract runs out next year, so it needs to be extended if they aim to keep him.
Next: What will Barcelona do with players returning from loans?
Other internal solutions are Marc Cardona and Abel Ruiz. Both have heavily featured for the B team this season. However, Cardona might not be reliable enough for this role and it would be a lot of responsibility for Ruiz, even though he is immensely talented. Therefore, Munir would be the best option while one of these two is gradually transitioned into the senior side through training and occasional first-team opportunities.