FC Barcelona’s Brazilian targets this January- Part 1
Thiago Maia earmarked as Sergio Busquests’ backup and long-term replacement
Thiago Maia was linked with Barcelona in the summer transfer window after his excellent performance in the Olympics for Brazil. He is a bright, young talent who is being targeted by big clubs this January. Liverpool and Barcelona are relative newcomers in the chase. Reportedly, he has been the subject of two offers till date. He has rejected both. Napoli and Zenit offered €12M and €16 for him, but he chose to stay at Santos. But other than Barca and Liverpool, a new player in this battle has emerged, Paris Saint-Germain. Unai Emery has offered Maia a place in his first-team, which can be hard to turn down. But playing for the Blaugranas too can be tempting. Sergio Busquets lacks a backup in the squad. Robert had shortlisted Steven N’Zonzi for that role but the move looks unlikely. So, Thiago Maia is an ideal signing for the club as he would bring with him a quality backup and also a potential future star.