Goodbye Barça, Lewandowski's successor will sign for Espanyol, it's a matter of hours

The rivalry between FC Barcelona and RCD Espanyol is one of those that is better explained through emotion than through statistics. In Barcelona, two ways of understanding soccer, two identities, and two very different realities coexist, and they clash every time there is a classic. Barça has historically been the older brother, while Espanyol, on the other hand, has always lived in a constant struggle to try to grow without losing its essence.

In the last duel between them, everyone saw that tension on edge. Barça came out with the pride of those who know they can't concede anything to their eternal rival, although Espanyol competed with hunger and was close to causing an upset. In these matches there are no half measures, because every individual duel is played as if it were a final.

But the story doesn't end on the field, because the transfer market has also poured fuel on the fire.  Barça and Espanyol have made many front pages because of the transfer of Joan García, a move that still hurts on the Espanyol side of the city. In the white-and-blue environment, people interpret it as a betrayal, a change of sides that is hard to digest because of the symbolic weight it carries.

Goodbye Barça, Lewandowski's successor will sign for Espanyol, it is a matter of hours

Now, according to rumors, Barça and Espanyol could carry out a similar move in the coming hours. Not in the form of a direct transfer, but in the form of a symbolic blow, one of those that is read as a statement of intent. The protagonist would be a name that, until recently, many placed close to Barça's future.

We are talking about Ángel Alarcón, a striker who currently plays for Porto, but who was destined to be Robert Lewandowski's natural successor. The young forward was raised in La Masia and was labeled as one of the most interesting prospects in Barça's youth system. However, due to the lack of opportunities, he left for Portugal, and now he could end up at Espanyol.

The deal, according to reports, is at a very advanced stage and could be completed in a matter of hours. That means that Espanyol would have won a silent race, getting ahead of clubs that were also keeping an eye on his situation at Porto. If nothing goes wrong, Ángel Alarcón will swap Camp Nou for RCDE Stadium.

However, while for Espanyol it is a great success, for Barça, Ángel Alarcón's return to LaLiga is a real danger. If he succeeds on the other side of Barcelona just when Lewandowski is lowering his performances, it could be a rather painful blow.