Håland or Malen: Who is the man for Barcelona?

Barcelona have options when it comes to the replacement for Luis Suárez

Luis Suárez is one of the greatest players of his generation, and one of the best Uruguayan players of all-time. His uniqueness was what earned him a move to Barcelona in 2014, and the ex-Liverpool man still remains one of the best finishers in the world.

But Barça need a replacement for the ageing ‘El Pistolero’, and the search will be very difficult. Antoine Griezmann was brought in as a stop-gap solution to Suárez’s recent troubles, but the €120 million signing has failed to adapt properly.

The decision taken by Barça next summer will determine the future of Barça’s attack. There are a variety of options available to Éric Abidal and co., with many new youngsters stepping up. But there are two standout players, none of them in the top leagues of Europe.

Erling Håland is a reincarnation of Zlatan Ibrahimović, carrying himself with the same kind of arrogance off the pitch and the same kind of aggression on it. Perhaps it would be wise to note that Ibrahimović was hugely successful in his only season at Barça.

The 19-year old Norwegian striker towers over most defenders, and is a formidable force in the box. He is a goal machine, and has started the season with a bang. Following a move to Red Bull Salzburg, Håland has scored 18 goals and provided 5 assists in 11 appearances.

His defensive contribution is impressive, and the young striker is very good on the ball, despite his size. This is an area where his similarity to Ibrahimović becomes pronounced, and where his true potential emerges.

Håland has already established himself as one of the finest finishers in Europe. His composure in front of goal, and his movement in the box makes the Norway international a huge prospect for the future.

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On the other hand, Donyell Malen is a talent who has developed over the years. The Dutch youngster is set to have a breakout season, after making a very good start. The Netherlands youth international has netted 16 goals and provided 5 assists in 18 appearances.

With his performances, Malen earned himself a call-up to the Dutch senior team. He debuted against Germany, and found the back of the net. The 20-year old centre-forward is quite different to Håland as a player, with less emphasis on physicality.

Malen is technically gifted, and has the ability to score as well as set up others. He possesses blistering pace, and is also very good in the air. Overall, Malen seems like the whole package, and has received the best attacking mentoring out there.

At youth level, he has worked under Dennis Bergkamp at Ajax and Thierry Henry at Arsenal. Currently, Malen is managed by Mark van Bommel, a former Barça player himself. The youngster is shaping up to be a star of the future.

Barça have two quality options, paralleling former Blaugrana centre-forwards Zlatan Ibrahimović and Samuel Eto’o. But it is clear that Barça should go after Donyell Malen, at least at this point in time. A lot can change over the course of the season.

Malen belongs to the golden generation of Dutch footballers who have emerged with the likes of Frenkie de Jong and Matthijs de Ligt. His profile fits the requirements of the Barça style, unlike Håland, who is better off playing for a team with a more direct style.

Malen has a lot of potential, and he needs to be more proactive as a team player. But over the course of the season, he will develop a lot, especially after the departure of previously first-choice striker Luuk de Jong.

At the end of the season, Barça can snap him up while slowly phasing out Luis Suárez.