Barcelona will push to sign €25 million-rated midfield general, Saudi Arabia also keen

Having closed the signing of Ilkay Gundogan on a free transfer earlier this week, Barcelona have now shifted their focus to finding a pivot midfielder who can replace Inter Miami-bound Sergio Busquets.

The 34-year-old’s departure is bound to leave a huge void in the midfield department at Barça. And manager Xavi Hernandez has made it abundantly clear that he wants the club to sign a top player to replace his departing captain this summer.

Martin Zubimendi of Real Sociedad and Bayern Munich’s Joshua Kimmich had been the top targets but are out of reach for the La Liga champions this summer.

Zubimendi comes with a €60 million release clause, which Barça cannot afford to pay. As for Kimmich, Bayern are unwilling to sell him and even if they enter the negotiation table, the German will command a very high fee.

As such, Barcelona are looking at alternatives in the market, and according to Roger Torello of Mundo Deportivo, the Blaugrana are now considering making a serious push for the signing of Inter Milan midfield general Marcelo Brozovic.

The 30-year-old Croatian international has been on the club’s radar since January but a swap deal did not materialise as Franck Kessie was unwilling to leave Camp Nou.

But with Kimmich and Zubimendi out of reach, Barcelona have rekindled their interest in Brozovic. The midfielder has a lot of admirers at the club, including manager Xavi, who sees him as a good fit for the profile he is looking for in a pivot midfielder.

However, Barça will have to face competition from the cash-rich Saudi Arabian giants Al-Nassr, who are pushing hard to sign Brozovic.

The Middle East club are offering the midfielder a lucrative contract worth €15 million per year for four seasons while being ready to pay €25 million in transfer fees to Inter Milan.

The 30-year-old is understood to be tempted by the offer, but Barcelona are hoping that he prioritises the sporting project over money. The Catalans will try to persuade him, like they did with Gundogan as they wish to add him to their squad this summer.

Player valuation in title obtained from transfermarkt.com on date of publication.