Barcelona lining up 'Plan B' to Robert Lewandowski transfer amid Bayern standoff

Barcelona are reportedly lining up a move for Villarreal forward Gerard Moreno as a 'Plan B' in case their proposed move for Robert Lewandowski falls through this summer.

The Catalan giants are hoping to sign the Poland international from Bayern Munich with Lewandowski keen to make the switch to La Liga. However, Bayern do not want to lose their star man and are trying to keep him at the Allianz Arena until at least the end of the 2022/23 season.

This is when Lewandowski's current deal runs out, meaning he will then be free to find a new club. With the 33-year-old entering the latter stages of his career, Barca do not want to wait much longer to sign the forward.

Xavi Hernandez's side are now also exploring alternatives in case the Lewandowski's situation becomes too complicated. According to Diario Sport via Sport, Moreno has been named as a potential target for Barca and Xavi feels that the Villarreal man meets his requirements, having netted 13 goals in 27 games last season.

Despite having a release clause of around £85million, the Yellow Submarine are willing to negotiate and could accept around £34million for the 30-year-old this summer. This is a similar figure to what Barca are planning to invest to sign Lewandowski from Bayern.

Meanwhile, Atletico Madrid have also expressed an interest in signing Moreno as they try to replace Luis Suarez, who is set to leave the club this summer. Moreno has scored 76 goals in 159 matches since joining Villarreal from Espanyol in 2018.

Lewandowski is still Barca's top priority but it seems as though Bayern could prove to be difficult negotiators in the deal. Chief Executive Oliver Khan stated last month that he and the German champions are not prepared to lose Lewandowski