Napoli Showing Interest In This Barcelona Midfielder: Should Xavi Cut Him Loose?

In a recent report, Fichajes mentioned that Napoli are showing interest in Barcelona midfielder Riqui Puig in the summer. It has been mentioned that the Italian outfit are eyeing a move for the Barca playmaker at the end of this campaign.

Puig’s Growing Frustrations In Spanish Football

Puig has found game time hard to come by at the Nou Camp recently. The talented midfield ace has struggled to impress in the limited game time he has received this season. 

The Spanish talent has made 13 appearances for the Catalan giants during this campaign but has failed to register a goal or an assist thus far. Puig has seen all of his league appearances come off the bench which explains why he is only averaging 0.6 shots, 0.3 key passes and 0.3 dribbles per 90 minutes in La Liga. However, he has even been accurate when distributing the ball from midfield after completing 93.9% of his attempted passes in the Spanish top-flight (stats via whoscored). 

Should Barcelona Boss Xavi Cut Puig Loose This Summer?

Puig has a wide range of passes under his belt and is usually quite tidy when playing his way out from midfield. He has got the vision to pick out a killer pass in the attacking end of the pitch but has struggled to earn regular playing minutes which has seen his numbers dry up in front of the opponent’s goal.

At 22, the Spanish playmaker has still got enough time to turn his fortunes around for the better in the coming seasons. However, for that to happen, the player needs to seek a move elsewhere in search of more first-team starts in the future.

Puig is currently surplus to requirements at the Nou Camp with Xavi often opting to leave him on his bench. Thus, it is only fair to the Spaniard if Barca cut him loose this summer. Napoli could be an ideal destination for the player while the Catalan giants can also benefit from getting Puig’s name off their wage bill. With all things considered, Xavi should think about cashing in on the Spanish youngster before he enters the final year of his Barca contract next season.