Forget Aubameyang! Barcelona legend recommends two Lewandowski alternatives

Stuart Telford

• 23 Mar 2023 16:25 GMT
• 3 min read

Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang has been linked with a return to Barcelona just a season after leaving for Chelsea, but Patrick Kluivert thinks the Blaugrana can do better.

Barca reportedly wanted to save Aubameyang from his Chelsea nightmare in January, but La Liga rules prohibiting the registration of one player twice in the same season held the move up.

Aubameyang remains close to the Barca dressing room - too close perhaps - having been pictured celebrating their recent Clasico victory over Real Madrid alongside Ferran Torres last Sunday.

READ: Aubameyang wants Barcelona return as Chelsea prepare to tear up contract

Chelsea are understandably furious with the player, who has only made four Premier League starts this season, scoring once, and a return to Camp Nou looks likely - especially if Aubameyang is released.

But Kluivert, who scored 122 goals in 257 games for Barca between 1998 and 2004, would rather see his former club pursue other targets.

— Mo (@UptiMo_) March 16, 2023

Kluivert wants Ramos or Firmino

"Financial Fair Play is something you need to know, but who is on my wishlist? Definitely needs to be a striker," the Dutchman told Barca Blaugranes.

READ: Man Utd given glowing Goncalo Ramos reference by Benfica coach Roger Schmidt

"Because after [Robert] Lewandowski you need to have a central striker. I'm really fond of Goncalo Ramos. I like that player and he's done a very good job for the Portugal national team and also at Benfica.

"[Roberto] Firmino to Barcelona, I think he would also be a very interesting player. Now, it's a striker that's needed to empower Barcelona. The rest is fine if everyone stays. The midfield will be ok."

Ramos, who has impressed at Benfica for a couple of seasons, shot to wide prominence in December when he played ahead of Cristiano Ronaldo at the World Cup and hit a hat-trick in Portugal's 6-1 thrashing of Switzerland.

He is still under contract until June 2026, though, and is valued at €38.6 million by FootballTransfers' in-house algorithm - something that could prove prohibitively expensive for Barca.

Firmino's situation is different, however, with the Brazilian out of contract with Liverpool at the end of the current campaign.