Barcelona Held Talks With Real Sociedad For Zubimendi; Three Youngster Could Enter Operation
For the major part of the year, Martin Zubimendi seemed like an untouchable option for Barcelona. The young midfielder was Xavi’s favourite option to replace Sergio Busquets, but Real Sociedad’s hefty €60 million demands meant the player was out of Barça’s reach.
However, in recent weeks, Zubimendi has once again emerged as a serious candidate for the club as they desperately look to sign a new defensive midfielder ahead of the new season.
According to Gerard Romero, Barcelona and Real Sociedad spoke about Zubimendi during the board members’ lunch after the La Liga game this past weekend.
The midfielder’s future was discussed, along with the possibility of a move to Camp Nou at the end of the season.
During the meeting, it appears Real Sociedad have conveyed they are interested in signing Barcelona players Abde Ezzalzouli, Pablo Torre and Nico Gonzalez.
This could serve as a major boost for Barça, as it means there is a possibility Real Sociedad could be interested in a swap deal involving some of the fringe players at Camp Nou.
Although Torre, Nico, and Abde are, by no means, fringe players at Camp Nou and are, in fact, considered vital future prospects, Barcelona might not be averse to sacrificing them in their bid to sign Zubimendi this summer.
Abde, for one, is already facing an uncertain future at Camp Nou, with Barcelona receiving ‘big’ offers from European clubs. His inclusion in the deal to sign Zubimendi could substantially slash the midfielder’s price tag.
The Catalans could save further by adding Nico into the operation. It is unlikely they will add Torre, though, despite the fact that the young midfielder has struggled to receive regular minutes during his first season at Camp Nou.
Zubimendi is not the only option for Barcelona, though, with the Catalans also keen on the services of Joshua Kimmich, Sofyan Amrabat, and Ilkay Gundogan, among others.
