Barcelona looking at two free agents to reinforce midfield in January – report

Even though the January transfer window is still some way away, speculations regarding Barcelona and their plans for the winter are already doing the rounds.

Over the past few weeks, it has been suggested that the Blaugrana are planning on signing a new pivot midfielder to cover for and compete with Oriol Romeu.

The defensive midfield is a position where Barça do not have a natural alternative for the Spaniard and as such, Xavi and Deco are keen on reinforcing it in January.

Finances, though, dictate that it must be a cost-effective, bargain signing for the Catalans, and as such, they are understood to be looking at a couple of free agents.

Gbamin, Guilavogui on Barcelona’s radars

Indeed, as per David Bernabeu Reverter of SPORT, Barcelona are looking at Jean-Philippe Gbamin and Josuha Guilavogui, both of whom are currently without a club, as options for the winter.

Gbamin, 27, is available for free after being released by Everton earlier this month. The Ivory Coast international has plied his trade for clubs like Mainz, CSKA Moscow, and Trabzonspor, apart from Everton, and has experience in Europe.

Gbamin’s time at Everton was marred by injuries and as such he spent time away on loan over the past couple of seasons and is now available for free.

As for Guilavogui, he is no stranger to Spain, having had a spell with Atletico Madrid almost a decade ago. The 32-year-old could never cut it with the Rojiblancos though and moved to VfL Wolfsburg where he became a regular in the team until recently.

Guilavogui is a vastly experienced player with over 200 Bundesliga appearances and more than 100 games in Ligue 1. Having been released by Wolfsburg this summer, Guilavogui is up for grabs for free.

Xavi could look for an in-house solution

Apart from the likes of Guilavogui and Gbamin, Barcelona have also been linked with Guido Rodriguez, Jorginho, and more recently, Arthur Vermeeren of Royal Antwerp.

However, the financial situation at the club could prohibit any move in January, especially with the resources likely to be directed towards bringing in Vitor Roque.

In such a scenario, Xavi could turn to an in-house solution in the form of Marc Casado.

The 19-year-old Barça Atletic captain has been regularly training with the first team and has featured in every matchday squad so far this term.

The technical staff believes in him and wants Xavi to give him an opportunity, while the manager himself counts on him. As such, Casado gaining more prominence could be a possibility.