Lille reportedly want to sign Barcelona flop Paco Alcacer
Lille’s general manager Marc Ingla has already travelled to Barcelona to open negotiators over a possible move.
And manager Marcelo Bielsa has given his blessing for the club to go ahead with an offer.
Barcelona manager Ernesto Valverde was originally thought to be open to offloading Alcacer in January.
The forward appears to have little future at the Nou Camp after failing to break into the first team even when Luis Suarez was out injured.
Barca boss Valverde is said to have earmarked Alcacer as one of four players he wants to axe come the New Year.
But Spanish newspaper Sport claim the player himself will have to force the issue.
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Alcacer (centre) has struggled to get game time alongside Suarez and Messi
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Lille are said to have already contacted Barcelona regarding a January move for Paco Alcacer
According to the report, Lille have enquired into Alcacer’s availability, with an eye on a January deal.
Yet Barcelona have told the French club the 24-year-old is off the market.
That will likely come as a surprise to Lille, who are aware Alcacer has managed just three appearances for Barca all season.
The former Valencia loanee has been with Barca since last year but he made little impact in his debut campaign at the Nou Camp.
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It was thought Suarez’s injury - on top of the long-term withdrawal of Ousmane Dembele with a hamstring problem - would see Alcacer given his chance in the Barca set-up.
But Valverde has instead changed his system to accommodate fewer strikers, or drafted in Gerard Deulofeu.
Sport claim Valverde wants Alcacer to stay at Barca as cover and that the player must request to leave if he is to head to Lille.
Alcacer is keen to secure a spot in the Spain squad for the World Cup in Russia next summer and getting game time elsewhere is an attractive proposition.
