Barcelona Transfer News: Latest Rumours on Carlos Bacca and Darijo Srna

Barcelona are reportedly set to battle it out with Arsenal to sign AC Milan striker Carlos Bacca in the January window.

Diario Gol (h/t Joe Short of the Daily Express) have suggested the Blaugrana have an interest in the Colombia striker, with the club said to be in the market for a new centre-forward. That's after summer acquisition Paco Alcacer has struggled as a deputy to Luis Suarez.

It's added that Bacca would play a more significant role in the team than Alcacer, although Milan are reportedly valuing the 29-year-old sharpshooter at £25 million.

Bacca is currently in his second season with Milan, having joined from Sevilla in the summer of 2015. As this clip illustrates, during his time in Italy, the forward has continued to find the net on a regular basis:

Prior to his switch to Serie A, Bacca excelled in La Liga with the Andalusian club. The Colombian was superb under former manager Unai Emery, offering a physical and dynamic presence up top and playing an important role in two UEFA Europa League wins before he departed.

That familiarity and previous success in the division is something that would appeal to Barcelona, especially with Alcacer struggling. The former Valencia man was a big-money purchase for the Camp Nou club ahead of this campaign, as manager Luis Enrique looked for a backup option up top for Suarez, Neymar and Lionel Messi.

As of yet, Alcacer has yet to score for Barca. Sports journalist Rik Sharma recently offered an insight as to why that may be the case:

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Sergi Roberto absolutely flawless today. Really thought Barça would struggle to fill in the void left by Alves but he isn't even missed.

— Sergi Domínguez (@FutbolSergi) December 10, 2016"

Such a long time on the fringes will only serve to dull any sharp instincts in front of goal, too. That's something that Bacca, in the peak years of his career, must ponder carefully. While an offer from Barcelona would be tempting, given the class of the established front three, minutes would be tough to come by in important matches.

Darijo Srna Switch Edges Closer

According to Lluis Miguelsanz of Sport, Barcelona are close to finalising a deal for Shakhtar Donetsk right-back Darijo Srna.

It's outlined in the report the transfer will be completed once Barca give the go-ahead and that the Blaugrana will not pay a fee for the 34-year-old; Miguelsanz noted that Shakhtar are happy for the Croatia international to depart on a free transfer having served the club tremendously over a 13-year period.

Such is Srna's supposed desire to play for Barcelona, it's also noted he will only take home around half of the €4 million (£3.35 million) salary he currently picks up with the Ukrainian giants.

While Srna won't be a long-term fix at right-back, he possesses both the quality and the experience to make an impact in Catalonia. Here is a look at what he can offer:

Manuel Queimadelos Alonso/Getty Images

The veteran may not be able to raid up and down the touchline like he did in his heyday, but he still possesses excellent quality on the ball. Srna is pinpoint with his crossing, finds clever passes in the final third and can also strike a mean set piece.

It's debatable whether he'd be an immediate starter at the club, though. As noted by Spanish football expert Sergi Dominguez, Sergi Roberto has been doing a fine job in the role:

CHARLY TRIBALLEAU/Getty Images

Nevertheless, it's a switch that makes sense for Srna. While he's enjoyed successes with Shakhtar, including eight league titles and the UEFA Europa League, Barcelona compete for the biggest honours in the game.

It'll give manager Luis Enrique another natural option in the position, with Aleix Vidal falling down the pecking order this term. Srna's experience, energy and desire to make an impression will be assets to this tremendous squad, too.