According to reports in the Spanish media, Lionel Messi has demanded Barcelona to sign the talented Atletico Madrid midfielder Saul Niguez. The Catalans are expected to invest in the midfield in the upcoming transfer window as Andres Iniesta is set to leave the club at the end of this season.
Barcelona are having a relatively successful season as they are expected to wrap up the La Liga title soon and are in the finals of the Copa Del Rey. However, they suffered a shock loss in the Champions League in the quarter-final stage against AS Roma. More than the loss it was the manner in which Barcelona surrendered is an issue for the club as they threw away a three-goal advantage and ended up bowing out of the tournament on the virtue of away goals.
Saul Niguez signed a new contract in January and committed his future at the club until 2026 but if a good offer is at the table he can leave the Madrid outfit. According to reports, Niguez can cost as much as € 80m but if Barcelona decides to have their man they can go after him.
Barcelona already made huge investments in previous two transfer windows as they brought in Dembele and Coutinho. Dembele was expected to fill the void left by Neymar but he had a bad start as he was out due to a lengthy injury. Even after coming back he hasn’t been able to establish himself in the side. Barcelona got Coutinho in the January transfer window and he has very much looked the part with the Blaugrana outfit.
Coutinho was thought of as a long-term replacement for Iniesta but the Brazillian has been doing well in the left wing role. He starts on the left wing but doesn’t play as the traditional winger by hugging the bylines and crossing to his teammates. He more often cuts inside and moves to the centre of the pitch to try and influence play from such positions.
As Iniesta is set to leave the club, Barcelona are in need of a box to box midfielder and Saul Niguez will be the perfect fit for that role. He has a bag of tricks up his sleeves and is a tireless worker along with that, he helps his team out defensively as well. At present, Barcelona are lacking a dynamic player like him in the midfield and he could be the right bet for the Catalans if they want to mount up title challenges at all fronts for the next season.
