The latest injury to Ousmane Dembele has left Barcelona without many attacking options and the club have now targeted Getafe’s striker as an emergency signing.
According to Sport, Barcelona are looking to finalize a deal for Getafe striker Angel Rodriguez, as long as they abide by the rules of Spanish FA (RFEF). If Dembele’s latest injury rules him out for more than five months, the Catalan side will be allowed to replace him despite the passing of the January transfer window deadline day.
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The replacement has to be a player who currently plays in the Spanish League i.e. La Liga or a player without a club. Angel Rodriguez not only meets this condition but also is in tremendous form. He has managed to score 13 goals in 27 appearances this season, leading the way for Jose Bordalas’s Getafe side, who currently sit at the third spot in La Liga.
The 32-year-old is under contract with Getafe until 2021 and has a release clause of €10 million. Barca are willing to pay the striker’s release clause as they are desperate to sign reinforcements to bolster their attack. Latest injuries to Dembele, Luis Suarez and even reports claiming Lionel Messi is playing with a thigh injury, has left the Spanish giants with only Antoine Greizmann as their fully fit forward.
If Barca do sign the 32-year-old, he will be only allowed to play for La Liga and Copa del Rey matches, as Champions League rules will not consider him as a registered player mid-campaign.
Blaugrana will have 15 days to finalize a deal for any potential replacement for the injured Frenchman. If the Catalans do sign a player, Dembele, despite having no official expected return date announced, will not be allowed to play for the rest of the season even if he makes an early recovery.
Do you want Angel Rodriguez at the Nou Camp this season?