Llorente? Why Not?

Not too long ago, rumors that Barça were interested in Fernando Llorente were circulating by the Catalan press because Llorente was not featuring much for Juventus. In the past, this rumor would have been shot down by many but today? Perhaps it is a rumor to give it some thought.

Llorente on FC Barcelona's radar? That was the case not too long ago based on the usual transfer gossip we see in the media. I’m from the old school Culé mentality that believes FC Barcelona should have a forward who has height and the ability to score headers much like Julio Salinas did for Johan Cruyff and Patrick Kluivert did for the numerous Barça managers that he played for and even Henrik Larsson did  for us under Rijkaard. Those were players who used their height to their advantage and also could set up their teammates with scoring chances thanks to their passing.  Simply put, these guys were not just there to use their heads for goals but to also create scoring chances for others.

Unfortunately, we have not seen those types of players signed by the club for a while. Now I know, I know, Barça did sign Ibrahimovic. That is true; however, Ibra was more interested in scoring aerial karate kicks types of goals instead of using his head. He could have been that extra threat that Kluivert excelled in whenever he bothered to show up. Nonetheless, Ibra and his ego resulted in his downfall and speedy exit from the Blaugrana.

I have also heard the usual argument from fellow Cules that our club’s style is not built for those types of players. I disagree. I am a firm believer that you can get any player to adjust to your team as long as they have the right talent and attitude and can also keep their ego in check. I have always wanted the club to sign someone like Miroslav Klose or Fernando Llorente.  Furthermore, this club is playing a different style of football that we are used to seeing so perhaps the Llorente option should be revisited in the future if he is available.

I still remember seeing his performance as a substitute in Spain’s World Cup match against Portugal. The 6 foot 3 forward stepped onto the pitch and definitely changed the game. His presence created problems for the center backs and allowed his teammates to enjoy some breathing room on the pitch , which was non-existent prior to his introduction to the game. He is what Barça could use against teams that park the bus as we saw against Celtic recently.

In all likelihood, this transfer will never happen, not even on loan. But with Tata Martino’s arrival, it definitely is not a farfetched idea to sign someone who has experience playing with these guys on the international level. Unfortunately, this will only continue to torment me like the club’s lack of interest in signing Klose as this decade’s version of Henrik Larsson. But it would be nice if the club put some thought behind it.