With the transfer window entering its business end, Barcelona are still pretty far from completing their transfer business. The Catalans have a pretty strong squad depth but after the debacle last season, there was pressure on them and everybody expected them to make a strong statement in the transfer market.
But contrary to the expectations, Barcelona have so far fared pretty poorly as they have only acquired the rights of Nelson Semedo from Barcelona. Although they have brought in Gerard Deulofeu and Marlon, that doesn’t reflect their intent.
They recently were part of one of the most hyped transfers in the history of football as Brazilian wonder boy Neymar moved to Paris Saint Germain for a world record fee of £198m.
Barcelona appointed Ernesto Valverde as their new manager after the departure of Luis Enrique and the manager has underlined to strengthen a number of positions before the season starts. According to reports, Barcelona are very close to their fourth signing of this season as they are chasing Villarreal midfielder, Roberto Soriano.
Midfield has been an area of concern for the Catalans. They endured a tough time in the middle of the pitch as Andres Iniesta, Andre Gomes and Ivan Rakitic were not been able to display that kind of authority and Barcelona desperately need to bring in a midfielder.
Soriano arrived in Spain last year from Sampdoria and in his inaugural season, he has lit up the La Liga with his excellent performance. The 25-year old Italian international found the back of the net 10 times and notched up 7 assists.
Iniesta’s performance has not gone down well with the Barcelona hierarchy and they have been searching for a suitable player who would be able to match his efforts gradually and replace him in the future. Soriano signed a five-year contract at the time of joining but the lure of playing for Barcelona could influence his decision.
The Catalans do have the money to spend but have little time to make their decision. Born in Germany he opted to play for Italy at the international level and has since garnered eight senior caps. Negotiations are currently underway and if everything remains right he could be seen playing in the Catalans’ colours next season.
The Italian midfielder is a product of the Bayern Munich academy and has represented Italy at various levels. With the World Cup knocking on the door, he would be very eager to book himself a place in the Italian squad for the next World Cup.
