Kevin Gameiro Is Not the Striker Barcelona Should Sign as Luis Suarez's Backup

Barcelona's search for a striker looks to be an ongoing one this summer, made more tricky to conclude perhaps by the international tournaments being played out in the form of the Copa America and UEFA Euro 2016.

It's no secret the Catalan club need to find an adequate option to play as backup to Luis Suarez at centre-forward; the Uruguayan played a massive 4,766 minutes last season, far more than any team-mate, and his hamstring strain in the Copa del Rey final was almost certainly in part due to accumulated fatigue.

Barca ended up winning La Liga and the Copa, but had Suarez's injury come midseason rather than in the campaign's the final minutes, things could have gone differently, with no senior centre-forward on hand to fill in and provide goals in his stead.

With that in mind, there have been several strikers linked to fill the void, and Sevilla forward Kevin Gameiro has been frequently mentioned as a target, with Marca recently reporting the Andalusian club want to extend his contract rather than sell for the €25 million Barcelona are willing to pay.

The deal simply wouldn't make sense for the Catalan club, though, either financially or with anything other than short-termist view on the playing squad. And it is one they should steer clear of.

Gameiro's Rise

French forward Gameiro came to prominence during his time at Lorient, where he netted close to a goal every other game and earned a move to Paris Saint-Germain in 2011. That coincided with the start of PSG's ascension to the top of Ligue 1, finishing second in his debut campaign and first every year since then—which, of course, came with more renowned players joining.

It meant Gameiro never established himself as an undisputed star or starter, falling out of favour after the turn of the year in his first season at the club and only really being used as a cup forward or impact sub thereafter. Gameiro totalled 11 and eight league goals in his two seasons at PSG respectively before moving to Sevilla, where he played the exact same role for another two years: super-sub and cup starter.

John Berry/Getty Images

The 2013-14 Europa League triumph saw Gameiro net six times but only once in seven games after the first knockout round. His 15 goals in La Liga was an impressive total considering he was subbed on or off in 25 of his 35 appearances, eventually ending with an average of a goal every 125 minutes in league play.

In 2014-15 it was a similar story, with Carlos Bacca the main starter and Gameiro making do with just seven league starts—and six of his eight league goals were scored after he came off the bench.

In that light, it's not hard to see why Barca could be tempted to sign him: a player who can immediately affect a match, score with only 20 or 30 minutes of notice and who has won trophies in Europe.

Last season, Gameiro became Sevilla's starting striker thanks to his better tactical fit to the team than either Fernando Llorente or Ciro Immobile, scoring 29 in all competitions, 16 in La Liga.

It's quite clear Barcelona aren't looking at a bad striker. Gameiro is quick off the mark, runs the channels exceptionally well and has a fine strike on him from anywhere inside the box. Technically he's good, and his play is instinctive—but he's still not the one Barcelona should be looking at.

Game Time, Cost and Drawbacks

Gameiro has spent so long on the fringes of big clubs that last season was the first campaign he managed over 3,000 minutes in since his final campaign at Lorient. He produced when it mattered in the Europa League, scoring once in the quarters, three times in the semis and once in the final, but in La Liga, his scoring rate dropped dramatically in the second half of the campaign: just four goals from February to the end of the season in May.

In other words, once he hit the 1,800-minute mark for game time in the season—a figure he failed to hit for the entirety of two of his previous four seasons—he quickly took a downturn in productivity. It's also notable Gameiro picked up hamstring and other muscular problems during the 2015-16 season and had to be rested for the league games at the end of the year in order to keep him in condition for Europe.

JORGE GUERRERO/Getty Images

It isn't definitive, but it's indicative of a player who has been used to playing lower game time for so long he cannot deal with the rigours of being asked to lead the line over a full season.

At Barcelona, that's not necessarily a problem, as he'd be playing second fiddle to Luis Suarez. But what if Suarez picks up an injury? And with Gameiro turning 30 next May and his game relying heavily on pace and movement in the channels, would it be a sound investment of €25 million?

Injuries and questions of resilience aside, Gameiro is probably looking at a maximum of another two years at the same physical level. It's an awful lot of money to be parting with for a bit-part, two-season backup despite his prodigious goalscoring record in terms of minutes on the pitch.

Better Bets

There's also the question of whether Gameiro would suit Barcelona. Yes, he's a predatory forward in the penalty area who can nab a goal if the ball falls his way. And if he's coming on as sub for that exact reason, then great. But how often are Barcelona actually behind over the course of a season?

Not with any great frequency.

CESAR MANSO/Getty Images

It's more likely that Gameiro's role would be to give Suarez a rest in certain matches—think the likes of Las Palmas, Sporting Gijon and Leganes—and in those longer stretches of games, Gameiro does not possess the link play, the telepathy with the wide forwards or the ability to drop deep and roam from centre-forward that Suarez does. 

Stylistically, he'd be an odd fit for the team. It doesn't have to be an exact, if inferior, replica of Suarez the team signs, but they should certainly be able to play in a similar way during buildup phases.

Barca have been linked with Nolito for some time, with Marca reporting Luis Enrique is keen on the Celta man but the board less so on account of his inability to play centrally. Mundo Deportivo (h/t Marca) further reported Palmeiras' Gabriel Jesus is a target, with a €24 million bid already in the works. Playing both from the left and at centre-forward, the latter fits the bill positionally but has only been on the first-team scene for just over a year. He should be in Brazil's squad for the Rio de Janeiro Olympics this summer.

Wherever Barcelona look, there are potential targets, stars in the making and alternatives to Gameiro. His finishing ability is unquestionable, but there are issues that produce red flags with his age, playing style, durability and cost—and given the importance of providing adequate support to Suarez and company next season, that's too big a list of worries to warrant Gameiro being the player they need.

Follow @karlmatchett