It seems like Barcelona have made the first breakthrough of the transfer season as Marca has reported that Juventus midfielder Miralem Pjanić has agreed to join the Catalan club in a deal that would see Arthur Melo move to the Italian giants. If Setién lets go of a number of his players like Ivan Rakitić and Arturo Vidal, then Pjanić’s transfer would be a first step towards replacing the current stars of the team.
The rise of Miralem Pjanić
30-year-old Pjanić joined Juventus in 2016 after plying his trade at Roma for five seasons. The centre-midfielder has been one of the best players of Maurizio Sarri’s team for some time now, having guided them through several trophies. Pjanić has been the brain of the team with a brilliant passing range. He has represented the Bosnia and Herzegovina at the international stage, appearing for his country 92 times, scoring on 15 occasions.
What can Pjanić bring to the Barcelona side?
There cannot be any dispute that Sergio Busquets has such excellent vision that he can visualise the whole game in his head. Pjanić has similar attributes, and with both of them in the team, the Catalan club would boss the midfield of other teams for the foreseeable future.
The Juventus star is known for his accuracy and his tenacious nature. His pinpoint passes across the field sets his teammates up in the attack and his work-rate ensures that the team is not vulnerable in the defence.
The midfielder’s dribbling and shooting ability are also worth mentioning, and the fact that he can get himself into goal scoring positions would help his manager greatly. Pjanić is a team man, and that can be attributed to the fact that till now he has made 68 assists from 273 games in Serie A.
Areas Pjanić can improve upon
The one area that the Ex-Lyon man can improve upon is his temperament. At times he has been known to lose his calm and getting into arguments with the opposition. Another aspect of his game that he can perhaps enhance is his consistency, with the midfielder being a pale shadow of himself on certain days. Plying his trade for a club of Barcelona’s stature would require him to be at his best week in week out and with the help of his teammates, Pjanić can certainly improve these facets of his game.
What this transfer means for Setién
Roping in a player of Pjanić’s qualities would be a massive coup for the Catalan club’s manager, and now they would be able to shift their focus on other areas of the field. However, Arthur Melo plays a vital role in this transfer process as the Italian champions want him to join them, with the Barca star determined to stay in Spain. Therefore, the preliminary challenge of the club would be to get this deal over the line without any hiccups and bring their player home.
