Barcelona could be ready to rival Chelsea for the signing of Bayern Munich striker Mario Mandzukic this summer, according to Fichajes. net.
The Croatian international is believed to be unsettled at the Allianz Arena at the moment, with his place in the starting lineup set to be threatened next season with the arrival of Robert Lewandowski from Borussia Dortmund.
The 28-year-old has been a key part of Bayern’s success since joining the club last season, scoring the opener in the Champions League final as they won the treble last year, but he appears to be unfancied by current manager Pep Guardiola. Barca, meanwhile, are on the lookout for a traditional centre-forward to give them some variety upfront next season, with new manager Luis Enrique believed to be particularly keen on Mandzukic.
The target man has an impressive record of 48 goals in 88 games for Bayern, and his potency in front of goal has also seen him linked with several other big clubs in recent times, such as Chelsea and Juventus. With Bayern thought to be interested in David Luiz of Chelsea and Arturo Vidal of Juventus, swap deals involving the pair and Mandzukic have been mentioned as possibilities at this early stage of the summer, but Barca will hope to beat their rivals to this signing.
