In a recent interview mentioned in Marca, Barcelona’s new loan signing Jeison Murillo has revealed his desire to make a permanent switch to the Nou Camp at the end of this campaign. The same report has also stated that the Catalans have signed him on a loan deal for the remainder of this campaign with an option to buy him permanently from Valencia for €25m.
After joining the Spanish giants, the Colombian prospect said, “This is a very important opportunity for me, it is the biggest door that can be opened in football.
“It is a dream come true, this means a lot to me.
“I have to work hard and get up to speed with the team and then the coach can make his decisions.
“The dream is to wear this jersey.
“I have half a season to show that I deserve it and I will work hard to stay here longer.
“I want to show the coach that he can be confident in me and show the rest of the players why I was selected to play here.”
Murillo’s recent words will be music to Ernesto Valverde’s ears as he looks to rebuild his squad and work towards bringing even more success to Catalunya in the near future. Barca are currently leading the La Liga standings with a three-point lead over second-placed Atletico Madrid. However, Valverde’s side has been struck with a lot of injuries in defence which has seen them bring Murillo in as an emergency option at centre-back.
The South American sensation is a very capable defender at the back and is physically strong in the air. He is also quite quick which helps him cover for his teammates when they are out of position. However, Murillo needs to work on his distribution if he wants to prove his value at Nou Camp.
His addition on a temporary basis will undoubtedly help the Catalans cope with their recent run of injuries at the back. However, the jury is still out on whether he can be a long-term asset for Barca. His performances over the new few months will be like an audition for a permanent role in Valverde’s first-team. If he can live up to the €25m fee, then Barca might just pursue activating that option in his loan contract.
One thing is for sure, Murillo’s hunger to earn a permanent switch to Barcelona will drive him to perform at his peak level in the coming weeks which would be a big boost for the La Liga leaders in their quest to secure some major silverware this season.
