The Hard Tackle takes a look at three possible targets for Portuguese striker Francisco Trincao as Barcelona prepare to sell him this summer.

When Barcelona reached an agreement to sign Francisco Trincao from SC Braga in January 2020It was hailed as quite a coup. After all, here was a player who raised his eyebrows at a very young age with his brilliant performances in Portugal and was followed by a multitude of top clubs as a result.

After Trincao had made a good impression in Braga through the youth, he joined the first team in the 2018/19 season and continued his rapid ascent. The winger had a good 2019-2020 season as he did not let the upcoming move to Barcelona distract him and ended the season with an impressive return of nine goals and thirteen assists from 40 games across all competitions.

When he joined the Blaugrana last summer, expectations were obviously quite high. Ten months later, the Portuguese sensation is on the fringes of the first team and could possibly stare at an exit from Camp Nou just a year after completing a dream move.

After Ronald Koeman took over the reins last summer, Trincao, who was signed before the Dutchman’s arrival, was unable to secure a place in the starting XI. While he has played 39 games so far, only nine have started and only two have made it to La Liga. The 21-year-old has tried to make the most of the opportunities available to him by scoring three goals and a couple of assists.

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However, the recent change of formation to a 3-5-2 / 3-4-2-1 made Trincao incompatible, causing him to virtually fall out of the picture. And now the Spanish release Sports claim Barcelona could look at the prospect of capitalizing on the enterprising Portuguese in the summer, which makes sense given their financial troubles.

While things may not have clicked for Trincao in Barcelona, ​​his innate ability and potential cannot be denied. His final season at SC Braga provided ample evidence of his talent, while the fact that he has already been capped six times by the Portuguese national team is another indicator.

So there should be no shortage of suitors if the 21-year-old should actually be made available in the summer transfer window. And The Hard Tackle is now taking a look at three clubs that Trincao could sign from Barcelona.

arsenal

Nicolas Pepe has flattered himself to be wrong about Arsenal (Photo courtesy AFP / Getty Images)

Arsenal, a club previously linked with a move for Trincao, may very well try to rekindle their interest in the 21-year-old this summer as Mikel Arteta builds a team strong enough to last the top 4 fighting in the premier league.

As things stand today, Arsenal have a number of players who are capable of playing in wide areas. Nicolas Pepe, Bukayo Saka, Willian and Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang are available to the manager as well as the academy product Reiss Nelson, while Emile Smith Rowe has also shown that he can be an option on the flanks.

However, among the players named above, only Saka and Smith Rowe have done well this season. Pepe, since his club record transfer was hot and cold two years ago, while Willian’s signing of a free transfer last summer has proven to be a big dud. And with Nelson’s dubious future, signing a new winger could be crucial for Arsenal. This is where Trincao would come into play.

While he may not become a regular starter right away, the 21-year-old can be groomed into a star by Arteta, who played a huge role in the development of Saka and Smith Rowe. A move could pay off for the Gunners in the long run, while Trincao could rekindle his career at a club where a number of promising young players are successful.

AC Milan

Castillejo was a huge disappointment at AC Milan (Image courtesy AFP / Getty Images)

Unlike Arsenal, AC Milan are very thin when it comes to options on the right. Alexis Saelemaekers did well at times, but the little that was said about Samu Castillejo, the better. The Spaniard has been largely under-challenged since joining Villarreal in 2018 – 10 goals in 105 games is hardly the kind of return Milan would have imagined after donating € 25m for his signing.

This season, Castillejo has only scored one goal and no assists in 25 Serie A games. Saelemaekers have done a bit better with two goals and four assists in 27 league games but, as mentioned, wasn’t nearly consistent enough to make the starting place his own. And, amid rumors that the club could sell Castillejo in the summerA move for Trincao could make a lot of sense for the Rossoneri.

The 21-year-old would offer more quality on the right flank with his pace, tricks and ability to cut in on the left flank and try to score or field a teammate. The move would also be wise, considering that Castillejo is 30 while Saelemaekers is 27, which means that Milan would have not only an immediate but also a long-term solution.

Manchester United

Solskjaer seeks solutions to Manchester United's right-wing troubles (Photo by Alex Livesey / Getty Images)

Solskjaer seeks solutions to Manchester United’s right-wing troubles (Photo courtesy AFP / Getty Images)

Manchester United right wing is currently not introducing. The Red Devils have fought in the ranks for years without a right-wing broadcaster, and spent last summer trying to solve the problem by trying to sign first Jadon Sancho and later Barcelona’s own Ousmane Dembele. However, their efforts proved unsuccessful and left the club behind to bring in Amad Diallo and Facundo Pellistri.

While the duo are full of potential, they are still green and lack the required experience at the highest level. According to reports, Manchester United could try again to re-sign Dembele and Sancho. However, given the financial impact of the pandemic, the transfer budget available for Ole Gunnar Solskjaer could again be restrictive.

A change for Trincao for the 20-time English champion could work here. The 21-year-old is someone the club has been following closely and wanted to sign before moving to Barcelona. He is further ahead in his career than Amad and Pellistri, having made over 80 senior appearances for Barcelona and Braga together.

Playing for the Catalans, even if it is not regular, has created some notoriety among the elite of football in Europe. The arrival of the Portugal international would also allow Solskjaer to place Mason Greenwood in his preferred role as a center-forward amid question marks about the future of Anthony Martial.