With the season all but over for Barcelona, the focus has now shifted towards planning for the next campaign and one of the key priorities for the team will be to sign a new No. 6.
Sergio Busquets’ exit last summer left a huge hole for Barcelona which summer signing Oriol Romeu has been unable to fill.
As such, Xavi, who will continue as manager for next season, is prioritising quality reinforcement for the position.
However, any move would be dictated by the financial situation. If the Catalans are able to return to the 1:1 rule, they plan to go after a ‘top’ player in the market.
If not, SPORT reports that the Catalans might look to sign ‘low-cost’ veterans who are currently plying their trade outside Europe but could jump at the chance of returning.
Marco Verratti
The 31-year-old plays in the Qatari league for Al-Arabi after leaving PSG in the summer, but could welcome a return to Europe.
For many years Verratti sounded like a possible reinforcement for Barcelona, but he always stayed at PSG before trying the Qatari adventure.
At 31, he is still at the age to compete at a high level and perhaps a return to the Italian national team is still possible, which could motivate him to move back to Europe.
Marcelo Brozovic
Another player who has been on Barcelona’s radar, Brozovic left Inter Milan for Saudi Arabia to play for Al-Nasrr last summer after the Catalans failed to make an appealing offer.
Unlike Verratti, Brozovic continues to be linked to elite football as he is a regular in the Croatia national team, with which he will play the Euros in Germany.
A return to Europe to continue playing at the highest level, like his compatriot Luka Modric, may tempt Brozovic.
