Barcelona and Atletico Madrid interested in Chelsea attacking target

The rise of Joaquin Panichelli continues to pull up trees in European football, and already there is interest from the very top of the game. The 23-year-old forward was recently handed his first cap for Argentina by Lionel Scaloni.

Panichelli spent last season on loan at Mirandes last year in Segunda from Alaves, before agreeing a €17m move to RC Strasbourg in the summer. In total, he scored 21 goals and gave 8 assists in Segunda over 44 appearances, firing Mirandes to the play-off final and the verge of a first ever La Liga campaign.

Joan García: "We still have a bit to improve. We're not keeping a clean sheet and we concede early. We're playing catch-up, but little by little, we're seeing improvement."

— barcacentre (@barcacentre) December 9, 2025

Panichelli’s successful adaptation to Ligue 1

Hitting the ground running in Ligue 1, Panichelli is already the starting number nine for Strasbourg. So far this season he has 10 goals in his 19 appearances, with Strasbourg in 8th place and battling for a European spot. Only Mason Greenwood has more goals (10) than Panichelli (9) this season in Ligue 1, a further sign of his success. His game is not just goals though, and he showed last year at Mirandes that his ability to hold the ball under pressure and link the play is valuable too.

Barcelona and Atletico Madrid scouting Panichelli

According to a report from Caught Offside, Barcelona and Atletico Madrid are both keeping a close eye on Panichelli’s progress at Strasbourg. The Blaugrana have been linked with Karl Etta Eyong as a potential replacement for Robert Lewandowski next summer, and Panichelli would fit a similar mould. Meanwhile Atletico are said to be on the hunt for a physical number nine, with doubt around Alexander Sorloth’s future.

Atlético Madrid could once again face sanctions from UEFA, this time due to their supporters setting off flares in the away section at PSV’s stadium.

Typically, punishments range from €3,000 to €35,000 fines, partial stadium closure warnings, or even travel bans for fans.… pic.twitter.com/kATIrNG1y9

— Atletico Universe (@atletiuniverse) December 10, 2025

Premier League competition

It is thought that Strasbourg would do business for around €30m, but the primary issue is that Chelsea are also interested in Panichelli. Given they share an ownership group with Strasbourg (Blue co.), they would have a leg up in any negotiations. Financially, Manchester United and Aston Villa would also be able to compete with La Liga’s giants.

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