"Mbappe and Haaland may not play the game they're comfortable with" - Barcelona advised against signing superstar duo by club legend

Kylian Mbappe and Erling Haaland have both been linked with a switch to Barcelona in the last few months. However, Blaugrana legend Albert Ferrer believes neither player may be a good fit at the club.

The two attackers are known for exploiting space to punish opposition defences. That may not make them good fit for the club's possession-based style of play, according to Ferrer.

The ex-Blaugrana defender explained that the club needs a striker who can score 20 goals a season to challenge for the big titles: He said:

"I still think Barcelona can challenge for trophies even now. But I believe they need a striker that makes the difference. If you look at the big clubs, most of them have a top forward who scores 20 goals every season. This is something Barca are missing."

While, Barcelona brought in Memphis Depay, they lost Luis Suarez and Lionel Messi, who used to score a lot of goals for the club every season. Ferrer said:

"Let's see how it goes with Memphis Depay, but he's not really a No.9. Don't forget, Barca lost Lionel Messi and Luis Suarez in two years. That's an average of 50 goals per season.

Barcelona are used to facing opponents who sit back and defend, leaving no space behind for their strikers to exploit. Ferrer believes that could be a problem for Mbappe and Haaland, who are at their most dangerous when they run into space. Ferrer elaborated in this regard:

"To realistically win things, they possibly need a top striker. But you have to consider the way they play is very particular. They will always have around 70% of possession, and that means the opponents will sit back and not leave any space."

"I'm not saying that Kylian Mbappe or Erling Haaland wouldn't fit in, but they may not play the game they feel comfortable with - running into space against a high defence. So they need a striker, but let's pay attention to the kind of striker they need considering the circumstances and philosophy."

It is obvious that Barcelona need to reinforce their options up front following their abysmal start to the season. Considering the same, there is no denying that signing Mbappe or Haaland would significantly boost their attack.

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Can Barcelona afford Erling Haaland and Kylian Mbappe?

Kylian Mbappe (second left) and Erling Haaland (second right)

Given their terrible financial situation at the moment, it is evident Barcelona cannot afford to sign either Haaland or Mbappe in the January transfer window. The Blaugrana have a budget of just €20 million for the winter, while both players will cost between €150 - 200 million.

However, they could get the chance to snap up either of the duo at the end of the season. That's because Mbappe will become a free agent next summer, while Haaland's release clause will drop to €75 million. It remains to be seen how things pan out.