5 Barcelona youngsters Juventus want in exchange for Miralem Pjanic.
Juventus had given Barcelona an ultimatum for either Ansu Fati or Arthur Melo in exchange for their Bosnian midfielder, Miralem Pjanic. The Catalan side rejected the offer after stating that Fati is off-limits.
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The Italian side have also been told that Arthur Melo has rejected the option of joining them next summer. With both players off-limits, the two sides are finding it difficult to reach a mutually beneficial agreement.
Juventus must negotiate for other players on the squad and instead of opting for a well-known name like Ivan Rakitic or Arturo Vidal, they are looking to secure a talented youngster instead. Mundo Deportivo via Tuttosport have reported that the Serie A side have demanded 5 Barca youngsters that have shown immense potential to develop into great footballers one day.
Some of these players could very well be traded this summer which would be disastrous for Barca who have struggled to successfully promote their La Masia graduates to the first-team. Once deemedas the identity of the Blaugrana, the club have struggled in recent years to repeat players like Xavi Hernandez, Andres Iniesta, Lionel Messi, Gerard Pique, Sergio Busquets, and many more.
If these talented youngsters are traded for the likes of Lautaro Martinez and Miralem Pjanic this summer, then the real issue at Barca might be that they have truly lost their identity.
Carles Alena
Currently loaned at Real Betis until the end of the current campaign, Alena was using this loan opportunity to showcase his work to the Barca board in order to secure a regular spot on the Catalan side’s first team. The coronavirus crisis has made it difficult for Alena to convince the Barca board as they might place him on the transfer list in order to give him the regular minutes that he desires. Multiple European giants are interested in the midfielder with most of these clubs belonging to the Premier League.
Riqui Puig
Puig has been a highly anticipated youngster at Barca with many hoping for his regular appearance with the first-team next season. The midfielder had some chances this season to showcase his talent but will need further developments to secure a spot alongside Frenkie de Jong, Sergio Busquets, Arthur Melo and Ivan Rakitic. The 20-year-old has shown his desire to remain at the club after saying, ”At all times I have said that I want to stay at Barça. At the moment I’m not considering leaving the club and everything is going well. I’m going to stay here” He told Bleacher Report.
Ilaix Moriba
Deemed as the Paul Pogba of Blaugrana, Moriba has been predicted to be one of the greats at the club. At just 15 years of age, Moriba made a name for himself after a commanding performance against Real Madrid’s reserve squad back in 2018. Ilaix scored 2 goals within the first half with his first goal being an audacious attempt from 25 yards away. He managed a hattrick in the second half. Barca’s current manager, Quique Setien, wants to include both Moriba and Puig in his future project. An excellent achievement at 17 years of age, being at par with teammate Ansu Fati, who is also equally tipped for greatness.
Francisco Trincão
The Portuguese international was signed by the Catalans in January after a deal was made with Braga that involved 31 million euros. A versatile player who is a naturally attacking midfielder as the likes of Iniesta. The Spanish side are excited to see him perform for the first team in the future but might find it difficult to provide him with the minutes he requires to continue his development. They might be forced to loan him during his first season to make room for the multiple attackers currently in the squad. The president of Braga has predicted that the talented 20-year-old has the potential to define a decade with Barca. Trincao signed a contract that lasts 5 years with a release clause of half-a-million euros.
Pedri
The Las Palmas forward has been acclaimed as the most targetted player in La Liga and is known to join the Catalan side on 1 July. He is predicted to initially wear the Blaugrana colours with the B squad before making an appearance with the first-team. Pedri also has the option to continue his development elsewhere if he chooses so with clubs like Real Betis, Celta and Real Sociedad being named as options. He might even remain at Palmas for another season but under Barca colours.
Should Barca consider selling any of these players or keep them as they all have the potential to be future stars at the club?