Wissam Ben Yedder joined AS Monaco last summer (Getty Images)
According to The Express, Barcelona were interested in signing Monaco forward Wissam Ben Yedder back in January but a deal didn’t materialize.
Ben Yedder, 29, came through the ranks of Alfortville and Toulouse’s youth system before getting promoted to the latter’s senior team. In 174 appearances for the French outfit, he racked up 71 goals and 22 assists before moving to Sevilla in the summer of 2016.
He has been one of the most consistent players in terms of scoring goals in the past few years. Last season, he scored 18 goals in La Liga and has already equalled that tally for Monaco this term with few more games to go. He has helped the club reach 9th place in the Ligue 1 table despite Monaco not performing at their best.
Meanwhile, Barcelona have also had their fair share of struggles since the start of the campaign. Despite being atop the league table, they have been inconsistent. Star forward Lionel Messi has been their leader and has kept them at the top almost single-handedly.
The injury to Luis Suarez put them on the back foot as they lacked a natural striker on the bench. They signed Martin Brathwaite from Leganes last month and the Danish international has done a decent job so far.
However, Barca boss Quique Setien should look to strengthen his attacking options as Ousmane Dembele has spent the majority of his Barcelona career on the sidelines. And Suarez is already 33 and has only one year left on his contract.
Therefore, they should look to sign an in-form striker and Wissam Ben Yedder perfectly fits the bill and at the same time, he has prior experience in La Liga.
The 29-year-old could be a perfect signing for the Catalan giants as he has been consistent in the last few years. He scored 15 goals or more in Ligue 1 in each of his last four seasons with Toulouse. And continued the same form with Sevilla.
Ben Yedder’s impressive performances also earned him a re-call to French national squad for the European Qualifiers.
The French international is in the form of his life and the La Liga giants would benefit from his game. They can also add quality and depth to their squad and his inclusion would also bring healthy competition within the team.
Though he is 29, Ben Yedder doesn’t seem to slow and already has 18 goals this season, joint-highest in Ligue 1 with Kylian Mbappe. He would definitely be a valuable asset if he can keep up the good form for the Catalans.
Therefore, Barcelona must reignite their interest in the former Sevilla man and lure him to Camp Nou in the summer.