FC Barcelona were quite active in the recently concluded transfer window. In the last few days of the window, the club tried to make a last-ditch attempt to try and sign a defensive midfielder in the aftermath of the injury to Marc Bernal.
The club was linked with a loan move for talented Liverpool youngster Stefan Bajcetic but the deal could not go through due to FFP. Ultimately, the club decided to trust existing options like Marc Casado and Eric Garcia.
One more player that Barcelona was linked with on deadline day was Danilo Pereira. It has now emerged as per Mundo Deportivo that Superagent Jorge Mendes tried to negotiate a swap deal that would have seen the ex-PSG man come to Barcelona and Eric Garcia move to France.
However, that transfer did not happen. Ultimately, Pereira moved to Al-Ittihad. It is good that this swap deal did not go through as Eric Garcia is much more suited to the Barcelona style of play than Danilo Pereira.
Having such a deal happen could have turned out similar to how things panned out when the club signed Oriol Romeu last summer. It takes a degree of tactical nous to play the pivot position at Barcelona and Pereira does not have that.
The Portuguese veteran could have been useful to the club in games where Flick wanted to rotate but the €20m-rated Spanish defender is a good enough option for the team in the pivot position. However, Marc Casado is likely to be the starter going forward in that pivot role.
Hansi Flick’s double pivot currently looks settled with Casado and Pedri. With the likes of Frenkie de Jong and Gavi set to return in the coming weeks and months, the German will only have more options at his disposal.
One way or the other, this could end up being a blessing in disguise that Barcelona did not sign Danilo Pereira. It remains to be seen how the club cope without a natural pivot this season and let’s hope Flick finds a way around it.
