Valencia Boss Albert Celades Confirms Rodrigo Talks with Barcelona

Valencia manager Albert Celades confirmed on Tuesday that Barcelona are negotiating a move for striker Rodrigo Moreno.

Celades told reporters the Spanish champions are keen to bring in the 28-year-old before the transfer window closes on Friday.

"Rodrigo is a player who can make the difference, that's why Barcelona want him," he said. "We all know there are negotiations in progress and we're not going to hide it."

Barcelona president Josep Maria Bartomeu has said Rodrigo's name is "on the table" as the club look for cover for striker Luis Suarez, who has been ruled out for four months after undergoing knee surgery:

Suarez's injury is a blow to the Spanish champions. The Uruguay international has 11 goals and seven assists in 17 La Liga appearances this season. The Catalan giants have managed one goal in two La Liga games since he was sidelined.

Rodrigo is an experienced striker who has been at Valencia since joining from Benfica in 2015. He scored 15 goals across 33 appearances in all competitions for Valencia last season and has managed four goals and 10 assists in 2019-20 in 23 outings.

Barcelona want to sign Rodrigo on loan until the end of the season, but Valencia would prefer a permanent transfer for €60 million, according to Ben Hayward at the Evening Standard.

ESPN FC's Dermot Corrigan explained why the transfer fee is a problem for Barca:

Meanwhile, Superdeporte have reported that Barcelona could include Sporting CP star Bruno Fernandes as part of a deal to land Rodrigo:

Sport have reported that Barca do not want to spend heavily in January, and the deal for Fernandes would be "paid in instalments, the first of which would be relatively low." The club are also said to be hopeful they can raise funds by selling Carles Perez to Roma.

The arrival of Rodrigo would boost Barcelona's attacking options for the remainder of the season as they continue to fight for trophies on three fronts. He would join Lionel Messi, Antoine Griezmann, Ousmane Dembele and Ansu Fati in the squad.

The 28-year-old is likely to take Suarez's role in the team as the central striker but could also play out wide, allowing Griezmann to feature in the middle.