Barcelona’s technical director Eric Abidal has openly admitted the club are looking for a striker and that Lautaro Martinez is a target.

Luis Suarez has been at Barcelona for five years, scoring 137 goals during that time.

But the Uruguayan turns 33 in January and the club are making preparations to replace him at the spearhead of their attack.

Suarez recently publicly acknowledged the fact that Barça were searching for a striker.

He conceded that there would always come a time his body would simply not do what the club expect of him anymore.

Suarez told Uruguayan outlet Ovacion: ‘A time will arrive when my age will not allow me to play at the level Barcelona require, but while I can, and while I have the strength to compete, I will.’

Eric Abidal confirmed that he had informed Suarez of Barça’s intentions to sign a player in his position.

‘I am transparent with the players, Luis can tell you because last year I already told him that it was going to be like that,’ Abidal told Mundo Deportivo.

‘That we were going to look for an offensive player and I don’t say he did not accept it, he accepted it because he wants the best for the team.

‘Today I can tell you that there is no priority, the planning will always be done, no matter the position in the field, the only change will be the decision.

‘It may be the first signing, the second … it depends on whether there are injuries, exits.’

Abidal was equally upfront when quizzed on whether the Catalan giants were interested in Inter Milan striker Lautaro Martinez.

‘Yes, he is a complete player, I think he is performing at a great level,’ he said.

‘He is a player we know, there are other players who also have a lot of quality.

‘I know Barça, I know what adaptation is like, but I don’t pay much attention to the player who plays every weekend, I look at others.’

Martinez, 22, has scored 5 goals in 12 Serie A matches so far this season.