Barcelona’s 'amazing' answer to life after Lewandowski - and it's not Rashford

Updated: 13 Jun 2026 17:10 BST | 5 min read

Robert Lewandowski, Barcelona, 2025/26 — © IMAGO

Robin Bairner | Chief Editor

Accredited football journalist and editor covering the game since 2006

Barcelona’s focus in the transfer market is firmly on their attack, with much speculation surrounding Marcus Rashford’s future at the Camp Nou side.

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Rashford joined Barca on loan from Manchester United last August, but despite putting up solid numbers and having an apparently reasonable buyout clause of €30 million in the agreement, this has not been enough to persuade the Catalans to make a move.

Instead, it now appears that the England international will be sent back to Old Trafford as the Blaugrana assess other options. Rashford is not totally off the table, but with United insistent the player’s €30m release fee is met, the situation is currently at a stalemate.

Current ETV

Marcus Rashford

F, M (L)

Barcelona

Marcus Rashford

F, M (L)

Barcelona

ETV Range

€34.7M - €42.5M

One of the issues that Rashford is suffering from is his lack of a defined position. He can play on the right and through the middle, but in his favoured role down the left, he faces stiff competition from Raphinha and Anthony Gordon.

Barca are particularly seeking a specialist centre-forward this summer thanks to Robert Lewandowski’s decision to leave at the end of his deal, and one striker in particular is worth tracking over the course of the World Cup.

Balogun is a strong fit for Barcelona

Monaco hitman Folarin Balogun caught the eye in the USA’s crushing 4-1 win over Paraguay, scoring twice and having a third effort disallowed for offside. It was a display that saw USMNT head coach Mauricio Pochettino describe him as “amazing” at full-time.

What is particularly interesting about the 24-year-old former Arsenal striker is how well he would fit in at Barca, according to data analytics firm SciSports.

Its Career Advice tool gives the American forward a Club Fit of 80 at Barcelona – a very high score indeed. This is based around potential development, probable game time, playing style and formation, as well as other various factors.

“I think he’s capable of playing in a big club and handling the pressure, because he will be perceived as a more experienced player given his career in Europe,” former USMNT goalkeeper Brad Friedel told Goal.

© IMAGO - Folarin Balogun, Barcelona Career Advice

Balogun’s numbers suggest he can thrive at Barcelona

As Balogun showed against Paraguay, he is a striker who knows the way to goal. Indeed, no player across Europe’s Big 5 leagues went on a scoring streak longer than his eight-game run that spanned February to April last season, matching Real Madrid’s Kylian Mbappe.

Statistically, he put up impressive numbers across the board in Ligue 1, where he outperformed the league standard in all SciSports’ key centre-forward categories, while stylistically, he operates in a similar manner to Lewandowski.

His €23.8m Estimated Transfer Value (ETV) puts him firmly within Barcelona’s reach, while his wages are a fraction of those that Rashford commands. Economically, this deal is entirely possible.

© IMAGO - Lewandowski and Balogun, Playing Style Comparison (2025/26)

The Balogun project is one worth pursuing for Barcelona

Balogun’s biggest issue is that he is not yet of a standard that will allow him to act as a direct replacement for Lewandowski. Instead, he would simply be a rotation option.

Could that be enough to tempt the Catalans into a summer move? Don’t discount it.

Although Barca have been linked with a €100m move for Julian Alvarez, it does not currently seem a viable prospect. Atletico Madrid are digging their heels in, having already rejected €150m from Real Madrid. Reports in Spain suggest that Arsenal may even be the Argentine’s only realistic way out.

Joao Pedro of Chelsea is another option, but the Brazilian will not be easy to prise away from Stamford Bridge, so it may be that Barca have to settle for Ferran Torres leading their line.

In this case, other possibilities would be studied. Rashford is one of those who could re-emerge as a target, but Balogun should also come into the picture. As a pure centre-forward who favours playing as a poacher, he would offer a like-for-like alternative, boasting a very similar profile to Ferran.

And there is another major spin-off benefit, too: he would allow Barcelona to tap further into the US soccer market.

Given how neatly his characteristics fit Barcelona, there is a strong upside in signing Balogun as a project rather than someone who can immediately replace Lewandowski. The reward could be enormous.

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