At the beginning of the January transfer market, Alvaro Morata’s potential switch to Barcelona had been one of hottest transfer stories in Europe.

But as the month progressed, the rumors slowly died out, and the Spaniard has been expected to remain at Juventus.

Nevertheless, the Blaugrana are now facing a headache upfront. Despite the arrival of Ferran Torres, Xavi still has a shortage in options.

Sergio Aguero had to retire due to heart issues, Ousmane Dembele’s future is anything but certain and Ansu Fati has now been added to the list of absentees. The Spanish teenager will remain out of action for two months.

So according to Sport via TuttoJuve, Barcelona are once again pursuing a new striker, and Morata remains on top of Xavi’s wish-list.

The Atletico Madrid man is currently on loan at Juventus, but the Italians are unlikely to pay 35 million euros to keep him in Turin beyond the summer.

Juve FC say

The Catalans’ interest in the 29-year-old is well-documented by now, but Max Allegri still considers the striker to be his best option up front.

Even though the player had his ups and downs, the tactician still favors him for the center forward role, and he surely won’t sanction his departure unless the club lines up a decent alternative.