In a recent report, Sport revealed that Barcelona midfielder Miralem Pjanic is on Juventus’ radar this summer. It is understood that the Catalans are hoping to sell off some of their players to reduce their wage bill which could open the door for Juve to seal a move for the Zvornik-born talent in this off-season (via Sport).
Pjanic’s Unimpressive Form At Catalonia Last Season
Pjanic endured a frustrating campaign at the Nou Camp after struggling to give a good account of himself at the heart of the Barca midfield. The Bosnia-Herzegovina international failed to register a goal or an assist in 30 appearances for the Catalan outfit last season across various competitions.
The 31-year-old’s contributions in midfield were far from convincing as he averaged 0.8 shots, 0.6 key passes and 0.4 dribbles per game in the 2020-21 La Liga season. However, he deserves a pat on the back for distributing possession with conviction based on his pass success rate of 91.4% in the Spanish top tier (stats via whoscored).
Pjanic is currently under contract with Barca until the summer of 2024, but he needs to seek a move elsewhere in search of more first-team chances in the coming seasons. At 31, he is a player on the decline, so Ronald Koeman would be wise to get him off his wage bill this summer.
Should The Catalans Cut Pjanic Loose This Summer?
Pjanic has a wide array of passes in his locker and remains an exceptional distributor of the ball from midfield. He can create some decent chances for others around him but is in dire need to add some productivity to his game if he wants to rediscover his old form at the highest level.
Sealing a move back to the Juventus Stadium could be an ideal career move for the player at this stage of his life. Barca can also benefit from cutting him loose as he is way past his prime and looks like a shadow of his former self these days at the Nou Camp.
Unless Koeman plans to play the veteran midfielder regularly next season, the Barca should consider cashing in on Pjanic this summer and find a cheaper replacement who can push the likes of Sergio Busquets, Frenkie De Jong and Pedri for a regular starting place in Barca’s first XI. The 100-time Bosnia-Herzegovina international is surplus to requirements at Catalonia so it makes sense for both the player and the club to part ways with each other in this off-season.
