Barcelona continuing to focus on finding Robert Lewandowski successor | OneFootball

Barcelona are still focusing on their Robert Lewandowski succession plans, with reports again naming Alexander Isak as a leading transfer target.

Lewandowski, now 36, is showing no signs of slowing down in front of goal and continues to boast an incredible fitness record. He has scored 16 goals in 18 La Liga appearances this season and has netted a further nine in other competitions to take his season's tally to 25.

That leaves Lewandowski just one shy of the figure he achieved for Barcelona last season, which was comfortably his worst goalscoring season since his debut campaign at Bayern Munich during 2014/15 - 25 again the figure he achieved even then.

Isak hasn't been as prolific as Lewandowski - though the start of his season was derailed by a toe injury - but he has been in terrific form of late for Newcastle, scoring in their last seven Premier League matches and averaging a goal every 113 minutes played. He also netted in the Magpies' 2-0 win over Arsenal in the first leg of their Carabao Cup semi-final.

Spanish publication Mundo Deportivo note that Isak, who cost Newcastle a club-record £63m when joining from Real Sociedad in 2022, is a leading candidate to replace Lewandowski, with Barcelona knowing that the Pole will inevitably start to slow down.

Isak is in a rich vein of goalscoring form for Newcastle / Crystal Pix/MB Media/GettyImages

Sporting CP goal machine Viktor Gyokeres is also named as a key Barcelona target, though he, like Isak, is likely to cost Barcelona an extraordinary amount of money - something the Catalan giants don't currently have as they continue to navigate a financial crisis.

Barcelona's desire to sign a left winger capable of cutting inside is also highlighted, referencing recent interest in Manchester United's Marcus Rashford, who looks set to leave Old Trafford before the conclusion of the January transfer window.

Nico Williams is the dream signing for Barcelona in that position - a bid to sign the Spaniard from Athletic Club failed to come to fruition last summer - while Liverpool's Luis Diaz and AC Milan's Rafael Leao are also front and centre of the club's transfer radar.

Newcastle, understandably, don't want to sell Isak and are hoping to tie the Swedish international down to new and improved terms. Their chances of retaining him will be heightened by qualifying for next season's Champions League - Eddie Howe's side currently sit fifth in the Premier League table after stringing together five consecutive wins.