The Spanish newspaper "AS" revealed that Algerian international striker Baghdad Bounedjah is a top candidate to transfer from Qatari club Al-Sadd to Spanish giants Barcelona, playing under the guidance of the club's new coach and former "blaugrana" legend Xavi Hernandez. Xavi is looking for a real goalscorer to replace Argentine legend Lionel Messi, who moved to Paris Saint-Germain.
Xavi is fully aware of the technical skills, offensive abilities, and physical attributes that Bounedjah possesses, having trained him for several years at Al-Sadd and closely followed his performances with the Algerian national team during the Africa Cup of Nations held in Egypt in 2019, where the Desert Warriors triumphed over Senegal to win the title.
Algerian national team coach Jamal Belmadi confirmed the news during a press conference prior to the matches against Djibouti and Burkina Faso in the qualifiers for the "Qatar 2022" World Cup. He stated: "Baghdad Bounedjah is a candidate to move to the Spanish league for a professional experience with Barcelona. He is a great player and among the few who have been able to make history wherever they go, and that is not easy."
Belmadi added: "Barcelona is no longer that team that terrified Europe and had the best players like Messi and Iniesta; it has been struggling recently, especially in the offensive aspect, which may lead Xavi to rely on Bounedjah's services, as he has the ability to shine and bring something new."
He concluded, "Xavi knows Bounedjah's potential well and relied on him as a key player at Al-Sadd. I will not interfere in his choices, especially since I know no more than he does, but Bounedjah would be a good solution."
