FC Barcelona, over the years, have had a number of legendary strikers wear the club’s jersey. The likes of Samuel Eto’o, Luis Suarez, Sergio Aguero and now Robert Lewandowski have led the line for the Catalan club with some aplomb.
There have also been many other strikers that Barcelona have been linked with during this period but the move never went through due to various reasons. One such player who could have found himself at the Camp Nou was Girona captain Cristhian Stuani.
Stuani is still going strong in La Liga
The veteran Uruguayan is still going strong in La Liga, continuing to be an important cog of Michel’s side and he also wears the armband for the club. However, in the program Montiliving as quoted by Mundo Deportivo, the player has spoken about 2019 when Barcelona were interested in him. He said:
“There was one night I couldn’t sleep, things were heating up. Even so, I didn’t have to make a decision because a concrete offer never actually reached the club.”
Stuani has confirmed that the interest was real. Back then, he was still at Girona and he could have moved across to his Catalan neighbours, had the offer come in. Interestingly, the 28-year-old has also played for Espanyol in his career.
Had he moved to Barcelona, the Uruguayan could have completed the Catalan triumvirate in La Liga but it was not to be. At that point, the club might have been looking at a backup for Luis Suarez, although Stuani himself was no spring chicken.
A story of what-if
It is good to see him keep going this late into his 30s, though. In 41 games across all competitions for Girona this season, he has scored 11 goals and provided 2 assists. His future at the Catalan club is not clear as things stand though.
In hindsight, a move to Barcelona might have offered Cristhian Stuani two or three solid seasons, but it’s unlikely he would’ve dramatically raised the club’s ceiling. Still, during a time when Barca’s recruitment strategy was floundering, his signing might not have been the worst call.
Ultimately, this is one of football’s many “what if” tales. That particular door is closed, but as Stuani continues to defy age, it’ll be interesting to see where his journey takes him next.
