Promises to Be Better Than Nico Williams: Joan Laporta Knows It, Pays 15m and Comes to Barça

Barça's sports management is already working toward the next season; strengthening the squad and making it more competitive is the goal. There are several key positions to reinforce and the attacking line is one of them despite the great performance the starting trio is offering. Not only is the trio composed of Lamine, Lewandowski and Raphinha performing at a very high level but also Ferran Torres when he has had to step in.

However, President Joan Laporta wants more and they are keen on signing a high-level forward to complete the attack. Last season the saga of Nico Williams lasted all summer but finally the Navarrese chose to stay one more season at Athletic. Laporta and Deco have considered other possibilities and names like Liverpool's Colombian, Luis Díaz or Milan's Portuguese Rafael Leão, have been mentioned for some time.

The big problem for Laporta's board is the very high cost that both operations currently represent, beyond the reach of Barça's possibilities. Barça knows well that the market offers interesting alternatives for less media-exposed and less known players. In the past, they have bet on players like Pedri or Gavi who have become great stars of the club and that is the path to follow.

Jesús Rodríguez, The Jewel of Betis's Youth Academy

Jesús Rodríguez is a young left winger of only 19 years old, this being his first season in elite football. Youth players are gaining increasingly significant importance in Spanish football and Jesús Rodríguez is a clear example in Betis's squad. The young winger debuted with the first team in October in a Copa match and since then, he has become one of Pellegrini's regular youth drafts.

In total, he has accumulated four starts in La Liga and has established himself as one of the most outstanding youth players. His early years of training were at Sevilla where he already stood out for his speed, good dribbling and goal-scoring instinct. However, those from Nervión did not bet on the striker and it was Betis who incorporated him into their lower categories showing a very high level.

Barça Interested in Jesús Rodríguez

Deco is alert to all the possibilities the market may offer to strengthen the team's attacking line. Stars like Luis Díaz or Rafael Leão remain on the table but the very high cost of these operations holds back the blaugrana entity. Moreover, the high performance of the current trio doesn't guarantee that they could be starters in case any of them ended up arriving at Camp Nou.

In this situation, the technical staff would be considering signing a quality player but less media-exposed and who accepts a more secondary role. In this sense, Barça's sports management would be impressed by the performances of the young Betis winger Jesús Rodríguez who in the past they already tried to bring to La Masia. The Betis youth player has a clause set at 15M Euros and Barça could bet on a new talent to polish and incorporate next summer.