Barça: Jovic, heir apparent to Luis Suárez, will cost €60m
According to Catalan radio station RAC1, the Serbian forward has been chosen as Luis Suárez's successor and negotiations are in progress.
Barcelona’s search for an eventual successor to Luis Suárez has reached a conclusion, according to reports in Catalonia, with the Camp Nou board settling on Eintracht Frankfurt striker Luka Jovic.
The 21-year-old Serbian forward is on loan at the Bundesliga club from Benfica and talks between Barça and the player’s agent, Fali Ramadani, have been ongoing in recent weeks, Frankfurter Allgemeine reported.
Barça sporting department chiefs Pep Segura, Eric Abidal and Ramon Planes met with Ramadani last week in Milan to discuss the prospect of a move and, per RAC1, were quoted a fee of 60 million euros for the Serbia international.
Jovic seen as successor to Luis Suárez
Jovic is on the radar of several European clubs including Bayern Munich and Manchester United, but Barça are hopeful of tying up a deal on the basis that at his age Jovic will be happy to spend a season as understudy to Suárez with a view to replacing him as the Camp Nou’s starting number nine in the long-term.
Barça have been scouting Jovic for some time and have watched him play for Frankfurt, for whom he has scored 22 goals, several times this season.
Serbia coach Mladen Krstajic has likened Jovic to Suárez due to his movement, ability to hold up the ball and to exploit space and Barça see him as the perfect long-term successor to the 32-year-old Uruguayan.
Frankfurt have a purchase option on Jovic which they are likely to activate, before selling him on to Barcelona, whose search for a temporary solution in the form of Kevin-Prince Boateng has not worked out as planned.