Barcelona Transfer News: Borussia Dortmund Reportedly Keen on Paco Alcacer

Borussia Dortmund manager Lucien Favre is reportedly keen on signing Barcelona striker Paco Alcacer. French publication L'Equipe (h/t Sport) has reported Favre has made the former Valencia attacker a target, adding Alcacer to a list of other strikers the Bundesliga club hopes to sign before the summer transfer window closes on August 31.

Sport also said the transfer would have to be a loan because Barca's demands have yet to be met for the 24-year-old, who is also attracting interest from La Liga duo Alaves and Real Betis.

However, Dortmund's path to Alcacer may be clearing, with Spanish source Mundo Deportivo (h/t Goal's Ronan Murphy) reporting one mooted suitor has backed off, while the German club consider him a "priority," per L'Equipe:

Barca's apparent willingness to sell Alcacer is somewhat understandable since he made just eight starts in La Liga last season. Alcacer was limited to a mere six starts during the previous campaign, indicative of his struggle to impress successive managers in Luis Enrique and Ernesto Valverde.

Admittedly, it's not easy for Alcaer to earn playing time in a forward line dominated by some of the game's most high-profile attackers. Lionel Messi, Luis Suarez and Neymar have been ahead of him in the pecking order.

Neymar moving to Paris Saint-Germain for a world-record fee last summer didn't improve Alcacer's chances when the Blaugrana signed Ousmane Dembele from Dortmund for £135.5 million.

Quality Sport Images/Getty Images

Yet Dembele has also struggled to make his mark at the Camp Nou, dealing with both injuries and inconsistency. Even so, the Frenchman could still cost Barca another €30 million, according to Mundo Deportivo (h/t Andrew Gilpin of the Daily Mirror), with the club ready to consider offers.

Keeping Alcacer and selling Dembele would be a cheap way for Valverde to refresh his attacking options. Munir El Haddadi is back in the first-team squad but is better suited out wide, while Alcacer offers Barcelona a natural No. 9.

Alcacer is cover for Suarez, who struggled somewhat during Saturday's 3-0 win over Alaves but likely retains the support of his manager, per Sport's Andrew Gaffney:

Valverde should rethink his assessment of his attacking options and recognise Alcacer still has value.