Valencia striker Paco Alcacer set to complete move to Barcelona to back-up MSN trio

Valencia striker Paco Alcacer is reportedly set to complete his move to Barcelona ahead of the new 2016-2017 campaign. Mundo Deportivo and Sport claim that the negotiations between the clubs are "very advanced" and that Munir El Haddadi or Sergi Samper could make the move in the opposite direction to Mestalla in a deal worth between €25 (£21.6, $27.9m) and €30m.

Barcelona have been linked with a number of forwards during the current transfer window after manager Luis Enrique publicly demanded the club officials to sign a player to back-up the MSN trio formed by Lionel Messi, Luis Suarez and Neymar.

However, the La Liga and Copa del Rey Champions have been repeatedly knocked back by the likes of Luciano Vietto, Kevin Gameiro, Gabriel Jesus, Nolito, Hatem Ben Arfa or Ousmane Dembele due to players reluctant to be mere understudies.Barcelona used to have the likes of Pedro Rodriguez and Alexis Sanchez in that role but both decided to move to Chelsea and Arsenal respectively in previous summers after growing frustrated with a lack of playing time.

Earlier this month Barcelona revealed that technical secretary Robert Fernandez had travelled to South America in order to find an alternative who accept to be the fourth choice striker at the Nou Camp.

Gremio striker Luan, West Ham new signing Jonathan Calleri, coveted Gabriel Barbosa Gabigol and even veteran André-Pierre Gignac have all since been linked with the club while earlier this week Fernandez said that the final target will be knows soon, as the Catalans are expected to sign him before the La Liga opener against Real Betis on 20 August.

"(The new signing) will be a striker. We had to analyse all the things that were on the table and so I had to travel (to South America to address different alternatives). After that we will take the most opportune decision for the team," Fernandez explained after the 3-2 victory over Sampdoria as quoted by AS. He added: "It will be (done) before the start of La Liga, that is at least my intention."

But it looks that the trip to South America was not fruitful either as both Mundo Deportivo and Sport are now reporting that the "chosen one" is Valencia captain Paco Alcacer.

Barcelona have already signed Andre Gomes from Valencia during the current transfer window and Mundo Deportivo claims that the clubs are now also in "advanced negotiations" to secure a deal for the Spanish international striker. Furthermore, the report added that, unlike other candidates, Alcacer is ready to accept a secondary role to back-up Messi and CO.

The striker release clause at Mestalla is set at €80m but Mundo Deportivo understands that the deal could be completed for around €30m. The Catalan publication added that Munir could be included as part of the deal after some reports already suggested that Barcelona were ready to send the 20-year-old starlet on loan to continue his development.

Sport, meanwhile, said that instead of Munir, Samper could be the one set for a final deal worth around €25m.

Alcacer, who scored 13 La Liga goals in 34 appearances for Valencia last term, would become the fifth signing of the summer for Barcelona following the arrivals of Denis Suarez, Samuel Umtiti, Lucas Digne and Gomes.