Barcelona Reluctant to Let Flop Striker Paco Alcacer Leave Club in January Despite Italian Interest

Barcelona forward Paco Alcacer will reportedly not be allowed to leave Camp Nou until at least the end of the season as the club see him as an important backup option.

Alcacer, who has generally disappointed in Barça colours since sealing a high profile move from Valencia, had been linked with a possible move to Internazionale, when the transfer window re-opens in January. However, it seems Camp Nou officials are reluctant to lose him.

And that’s despite the 24-year-old being no closer to actually commanding a regular place.

According to Mundo Deportivo, Alcacer could ask to leave in January, but his request is likely to be denied because the club doesn’t want to leave itself short on cover.

FC Barcelona v Chapecoense - Joan Gamper Trophy

The situation may change in June at the end of the season, with Barça having the time to find the highest bidder and secure a replacement for the squad, but it won’t happen yet.

Alcacer started the first game of the new La Liga season against Real Betis in place of the then injured Luis Suarez, but he’s played only sparingly since.

He was relegated to the role of unused substitute for the Barcelona city derby against Espanyol at the start of September and was later kept out after a bout of illness.

Yet even after recovering and watching Ousmane Dembele get sidelined through injury until December at the earliest, Alcacer still hasn’t been given the nod by coach Ernesto Valverde.

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Gerard Deulofeu, Denis Suarez and Aleix Vidal have been among those to benefit from Dembele’s enforced absence ahead of Alcacer.

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