Report: Four midfielders on Barcelona radar as summer signings

Ronald Koeman might not be at Barcelona to stay, but his signings will be here for years to come. Sergino Dest was the first of the several names he wanted, but eventually, he got most of the players on his list, including Eric Garcia, Memphis Depay, and even Luuk de Jong.

READ: Barcelona in 2021/22: Realistic expectations from a team in transition

Georgino Wijanldum was on top of the priority list for a while, but the transfer failed to come to fruition after Paris Saint-Germain hijacked the deal with a better offer for him. The search for a ‘physical’ midfielder continues, and SPORT outlines four players on Barcelona’s radar — Franck Kessie, Tanguy Ndombele, Marcelo Brozovic, and Donny van de Beek.

Playing defensive midfield at AC Milan, Kessie could turn out to be an excellent signing for Barcelona. With Sergio Busquets approaching the last juncture of his career, the club needs to source a replacement, and the Ivorian is available on a free transfer in the summer of 2022.

Inter Milan’s Brozovic follows the same pattern of thought. He becomes a free agent in 2022 and is one of the finest defensive midfielders across the top 5 leagues. That said, the Croatian is set to turn 29 in November and is on hefty wage at Inter.

Unlike the aforementioned duo, Ndombele is a central midfielder who operates in a box-to-box capacity. Despite being Tottenham Hotspur’s most expensive signing, he has not been able to find his footing at the club and has had a rather poor run with injuries across the last two seasons.

Lastly, van de Beek is a surprise inclusion in this list of ‘physical’ midfielders. The Manchester United man is an attacking midfielder by trait and boasts of incredible versatility, with the ability to play in the double pivot, as a 10, and in a midfield trident. That said, he is not similar to Wijnaldum in their physical traits.

Barça Universal opinion

Barcelona’s midfield may look solid on paper, but it is stretched thin on experience. 18-year-old Pedri has experienced all highs and lows of football in one season while being overplayed, while Gavi is just 17 and placing too much pressure on him right now could be a poor decision.

Multiple names have come as possible signings for the club, with Paul Pogba among them, but how many them actually make sense?

Busquets is 33 and may not have a lot left in his stride. Barcelona will need to look for quality replacements soon in the hope a transition can be completed.

Franck Kessie is an excellent candidate for the role, boasting impeccable technique, defensive solidity, and an additional trait with his sharpshooting. Marcelo Brozovic, too, is a superb option, but not a long-term one.

Signing Donny van de Beek would make sense given his age, high ceiling, and the multiple roles he can fulfil. Plus, he does something that is lacking in the current midfield — the courage to take on defenders and take shots.

Tanguy Ndombele is the real outcast in this list of four. He does not really add more quality than the team already has and is in really poor form. The Frenchman ‘physical’ traits are only seen when he’s on the ball because off it, his work ethic is rather underwhelming.