Barcelona Interested In Sofyan Amrabat, While Martin Zubimendi Seems Impossible
A recent report from ESPN has offered an update on Barcelona’s pursuit of a new midfielder in the market.
With Sergio Busquets announcing his decision to leave Camp Nou at the end of the season, signing a new midfielder could be the need of the hour for Barcelona as they look to build a squad strong enough to perform well in Europe next season.
As per the report, Barcelona have not made much progress in the pursuit of Sofyan Amrabat. The Fiorentina starlet was one of the top options for coach Xavi Hernandez during the January transfer window, but the deal materialise.
But even though Fiorentina have lowered their demands to €25 million for the summer, Barcelona have made no real inroads and everything has halted lately, indicating that the club might be withdrawing their interest in the Moroccan international.
As for other targets, Xavi Hernandez’s ‘wet dream’ is to sign Martin Zubimendi this summer. The Real Sociedad starlet is rated very highly by the club’s coaching staff due to his technical prowess and experience in Spanish football. Many believe he could be the most ideal replacement for Busquets.
However, as the report suggests, Barcelona have ruled out the signing of Zubimendi due to Real Sociedad’s €70 million demands. The club are not in a position to afford the Spanish international, not at least in the current transfer window.
Instead, it appears Barcelona president Joan Laporta is making headways in the pursuit of Ruben Neves. Despite the objections of Xavi and the rest of the coaching staff, Laporta is going ahead with the deal, thanks in part to his close relationship with Jorge Mendes.
The Portuguese super-agent has played a key role in Barcelona transfers in recent years and he is once again spearheading the project to sign Neves, who is set to leave Wolves this summer.
