Although there is currently a lot of uncertainty about who the next manager will be at FC Barcelona, the planning for the next season is already significantly underway.
The Sporting Director, Deco, is clear about which positions he wants to reinforce in the coming summer, and the position on top of the priority list for the Portuguese official is that of the midfield pivot.
Oriol Romeu was brought to replace Sergio Busquets in this position, but as he has been unable to perform up to the expectations, Andreas Christensen has been playing in this position in recent weeks.
While this experiment has returned high profits for the Catalans, it is clear that this is not the natural position of the Dane, and neither of Frenkie de Jong and Gundogan, who can play as a pivot, but are more effective higher up the pitch.
Thus, SPORT reports that there are several options for this position that Deco has considered over the last few months, and whom he believes will perform at a high level at Barcelona.
One of the players on this list is the Everton midfielder, Amadou Onana, who is liked the most by Barcelona. His physique and positional play make him a very alluring target for the Catalans, and he is also still only 22 years old. Everton are willing to sell the midfielder, and Deco has already contacted his entourage.
The Premier League side is asking €60 million for the midfielder, but this is an amount that Barcelona cannot afford at this moment. The Catalans are also keeping an eye on the Premier League table with an eye on this transfer, as Everton’s relegation can cause the transfer operation to get significantly cheaper.
Joshua Kimmich, who has long been associated with the Catalan club, is another target in Deco’s mind. The German’s relation with Bayern Munich has deteriorated in recent years, but his salary demands and competition from the Premier League can still make a move difficult for Barcelona.
The Feyenoord midfielder, Mats Wieffer, is another player high on Barcelona’s list, and Deco has already talked to Giovani von Bronckhorst regarding his signing. He can cost the Catalans around €20-25 million.
Lastly, the Girona midfielder Aleix Garcia is also a part of this list. His versatility is the biggest attraction for the Blaugranes, and he is also one of the most affordable options for Barcelona, as he has a reported release clause of around €15 million in his contract.
