Barcelona keeping tabs on one of Lazio’s most talented defenders.
The defense is an area of the pitch, behind striker, that Barcelona are desperately trying to improve. Besides Gerard Pique and Jordi Alba every other backline player seems to be on the chopping block.
However, money is tight so for now the club are going to rely on what they have. Still, this does not mean that they aren’t scouting for potential signings down the line. In fact, they’re heavily scouting Lazio’s Luiz Felipe.
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According to Mundo Deportivo, Luiz Felipe is a player that the Blaugrana are interested in but is currently not atop their list in part because of the amount the Lazio president is demanding for him.
Nevertheless, the 23-year-old center-back is flattered by the reported interest.
"“Of course it excites me knowing they’re thinking of me, because it means that I’m doing a good job and that the big clubs are watching.”Source: Sport"
Regardless of the interest from the Catalans and other big teams, he is focusing solely on Lazio and to getting back in the swing of things when the season resumes.
That Barça are interested should be no surprise as they’ve long since identified a center-back as a position of need. The club seem to have lost faith in Samuel Umtiti because of his inconsistency after his injury and they’re adamant on selling Jean-Clair Todibo in order to raise funds.
Luiz Felipe has burst onto the scene lately because of how well Lazio are doing in Serie A. They currently sit in second place, one point behind Juventus for first place. Should they win, his profile is only going to skyrocket. Meaning if Barcelona are put off by the price tag now, it’ll only get worse if Lazio win the scudetto.