Barcelona director ‘bets on’ Chelsea icon to replace Busquets; Xavi, Laporta have other targets

As we get set to enter the New Year, Barcelona have a number of pressing squad issues to deal with, among which the most important one is to find a replacement for club captain and legend, Sergio Busquets.

The 34-year-old is in the final phase of his contract with the Catalan giants and is yet to decide on his next move. A move to the MLS has been talked about while more recently, it has been reported that the Spaniard has also received a ‘dizzying’ offer from Al Nassr.

While the possibility of him renewing with Barcelona is not entirely ruled out, the club need to be prepared in case Busquets decides to move on. To that end, several possible targets have been identified by the Blaugrana as potential replacements for the captain.

But there does not seem to be a general consensus within the club offices over one particular target if a report from SPORT is to be believed.

As per the report, Barcelona director Mateu Alemany is betting on Chelsea icon N’Golo Kante as his favoured option to reinforce the midfield next summer.

The French World Cup winner is set to become a free agent at the end of the season with his contract expiring. And given the club’s financial situation, Alemany believes the 31-year-old would be a solid acquisition, provided his recovery from a recent surgery goes well.

However, manager Xavi Hernandez and president Joan Laporta both have different targets on their minds.

As for Xavi, the Barcelona legend is set on signing Martin Zubimendi to replace Busquets. The manager sees the Real Sociedad ace as the ideal fit to take over from his captain and believes it is worth making an effort to sign him as the midfielder is just 23 years old and has a bright future ahead.

However, with his release clause standing at €60 million, the operation is not seen as feasible by others within the club administration led by president Joan Laporta.

Instead, they prefer Wolves and Portugal midfielder Ruben Neves as he would arrive for a cheaper price while the club also have a good relationship with his agent, Jorge Mendes.

But, Xavi does not see Neves as a player who can operate as a lone pivot midfielder, leading to doubts over a move for him.

As for Kante, recent reports in England suggest that the Frenchman could likely end up signing a new deal with Chelsea. If so, Alemany’s plans will be dealt a blow.

It remains to be seen as to which way Barcelona lean as they look to put a succession plan in place for Busquets.