Barcelona’s chances of landing Atletico Madrid forward Luciano Vietto have reportedly suffered a major blow, with the player said to be close to moving to Sevilla on loan. 

That’s according to Lluis Miguelsanz of Sport, who has stated the striker is on the brink of a switch to Andalusia, despite interest from Barca. “Sevilla have acted quickly to convince the 22-year-old that he’ll receive the assurances of playing time during the upcoming season and thus preventing Barca from swooping in and scuppering the deal,” it’s noted.

According to Mundo Deportivo (h/t Football Espana) the forward’s agent, Jorge Czyterspiller, has been in negotiations with Barcelona about a move. It’s reported that both a loan deal and a permanent transfer were options, and the player was keen to join to play alongside Lionel Messi.

Vietto is a gifted footballer who shone at Villarreal before making his move to Atletico. Here is a look at what he is capable of at his very best:

Atletico boss Diego Simeone seemed like an ideal mentor for Vietto, but his move to the Vicente Calderon didn’t yield a prosperous debut term. Indeed, the Argentina youth international netted a solitary goal in his first season at the football club in 19 La Liga appearances. 

As we can see here, Sport (h/t Sergi Dominguez) had previously suggested Vietto was one of four options Barcelona were considering as support for Messi, Neymar and Luis Suarez:

The club’s sporting director, Robert Fernandez, has also revealed they are looking at landing a forward ahead of the 2016-17 campaign. 

“There has been a lot of speculation, and it’s true that in terms of signing a forward there are two lines we could follow: sign a young player or sign a more experienced one,” he said, per Sport. “We are analysing both options, and we won’t take long to choose what’s best for the club. We’re studying it.”

One option for the future could well be Brazilian prospect Gabriel Jesus, who is said to have held talks with both Barca and their great rivals Real Madrid about a transfer.

That’s according to Sport, which reported the Palmeiras sporting director Alexandre Mattos will speak with both clubs about a transfer after arriving in Spain. Barcelona are said to be keen to sign Jesus before sending him back to Palmeiras on loan. Here is a look at why some of Europe’s elite clubs are courting the player:

Inter Milan are also tipped as possible suitors, although Real are said to be Barca’s “main threat” when it comes to securing the 19-year-old. 

While Jesus may not be ready for the first team at the Camp Nou yet, it’s important the club considers the next generation who’ll be tasked with taking over from the likes of Messi and Suarez. The teenager has a long way to go before reaching those standards, although his potential is sky high.

Football journalist Rafael Hernandez has been impressed with the progression of the forward during his recent outings:

Should Jesus come in, it’s clear he’s not quite ready to play a supporting role to the aforementioned illustrious trio. So Barcelona would need to bring in another versatile forward who could potentially fill in.

It’s a tricky deal to get done as no elite striker will likely want to join a club knowing he’ll be a back-up option to arguably the finest attacking setup the game has ever seen. As a result, the Blaugrana may have their work cut out getting a top-class name through the door.

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