Comment: Who to lead the line?

Barcelona are looking for a new No.9 to pop in the goals. espnstar.com's Kelvin Leong knows who fits the bill.

Since the end of last season, Barcelona's transfer policy has been scrutinized by the media who are all eager to see who will be the Catalan side's new chief striker for the upcoming season. Rumours have come and gone but there is still no sign of that elusive top striker arriving at the Nou Camp.

Our resident writer shovels through the rumour mill to see who the top candidates are to fill the role before making a choice on who he would like to see in the famous maroon and blue jersey.

Emmanuel Adebayor (Arsenal)

The giant Togolese striker had a sensational season in a young Arsenal side last time out. A typical centre forward with a huge leap and silky smooth dribbling skills akin to former Highbury favourite, Kanu.

His style of play is a straightforward one, with rampaging runs into the box to finish off crosses that are swung into the six yard box. His shooting leaves much to be desired in my opinion but he had the rub of the green throughout last season with his low grounders finding a way past goalkeepers.

Adebayor has grown from strength to strength since joining Arsenal, but somehow one season might not be enough to prove that he is one of the game's leading strikers.

David Villa (Valencia)

The Valencia forward had a sensational European Championship where he finished top scorer with gour goals to his credit. Known to be a fiery character on the field, his trademark goal is a thunderous drive from outside the box that rifles through the net like a rocket. He can also drift out wide to supply crosses to his strike partners.

A clever player who has a good footballing brain, Villa's strength is when he senses his team's failure to break down stubborn defences and you often see him dropping deep to give midfielders the additional option. When he moves out wide, his crosses and runs are almost never wasted.

David Trezeguet (Juventus)

Trezgoal has just announced his retirement from the French national setup after not being picked by Raymond Domenech for Euro 2008.

A proven scorer at both domestic and international level, the goal machine has never dried up and is still going strong despite edging towards retirement age.

An old fashioned poacher, Trezeguet has a booming right foot which can send missiles through the air, while his heading prowess is undoubted. Nevertheless, he has a knack for drifting in and out of games.

Like many French strikers of the modern era, defending is never really on his mind as he can be slow to provide cover when his team is under siege.

But when your main job is to score goals - and the man does it mightily fine - why bother defending!

Verdict -

David Villa

Already a seasoned professional in the Primera Liga, there will be no need to acclimatize. He can walk straight into the team and do what he does best - scoring goals.

His style of play suits the Barca setup well, and with international teammates Iniesta and Xavi just behind him, the linkup play will be excellent.

So now, will Pep Guardiola make the move for him or will we see Samuel Eto'o walk out of the tunnel come round one of the 2008/09 season? We'll have to wait and see.