Mundo Deportivo has recently reported that Barcelona are eyeing a move for Real Valladolid keeper Jordi Masip this summer. It is believed that the Spanish goalie is one of the options Barca are looking at along with Levante’s Aitor Fernández to replace Neto if he leaves the Catalan club in this off-season (via Mundo Deportivo).
Masip’s Difficult Season At Estadio José Zorrilla
The 32-year-old had a tough campaign with Valladolid recently which ended in relegation from La Liga. Masip was involved in 25 matches for the Spanish outfit last season, shipping in 40 goals while securing only two clean sheets in multiple competitions.
The veteran goalie deserves a pat on the back for averaging 0.7 clearances and 7.3 long balls per game in the Spanish top tier. However, he was far from convincing when distributing the ball from the back after completing 46.7% of his attempted passes in league football (stats via whoscored).
Masip has got less than a year left to run in his Valladolid contract, so he could be available for a cut-price fee this summer which makes him a cheap option for Barca to consider before the start of the new campaign.
What Will The Spanish Keeper Bring To The Nou Camp?
Masip has a wealth of experience in Spanish football and knows the Catalan club well from his previous spell with them. He can still serve as a decent backup keeper at the highest level but is not good enough to be a prominent feature in top-flight football. At 32, Masip still has a few good years left in his locker to play at a high level and could act as a good deputy to Marc-André ter Stegen over the next few years.
The Spaniard has good reflexes that help him make some important saves at the back. He is also a solid handler of the ball when coming out to collect loose balls inside his penalty area. Masip can even get a lot of distance with his clearances but can be quite inaccurate with his passing.
Hence, the Valladolid keeper won’t be a good fit for Ronald Koeman’s style of play at Catalonia. However, we can expect Masip to bring plenty of depth to Barca’s goalkeeping department at the Nou Camp and could be a good performer for them in the domestic cup competitions. However, if Koeman is looking to sign a new first-team keeper, he would be better off opting for someone better as Masip doesn’t have what it takes to be a consistent feature for the Catalan giants in the coming seasons.
