Barcelona join race to secure Europe’s most-wanted midfielder

Barcelona joins Manchester United, Manchester City, Borussia Dortmund, and Bayern Munich to secure wonderkid midfielder from Austria.

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Despite struggling with a massive debt, newly elected President Joan Laporta has revealed his intentions of strengthening the squad by signing promising reinforcements in the summer transfer window.

The Catalan giants have not only been linked with soon-to-be free-agents like Sergio Aguero, David Alaba, Gini Wijnaldum but also mega-star like Erling Haaland. While the links with aging veterans and securing million-dollar superstars remain intact, the current sporting director Ramon Planes is targeting a rising star from Austria.

Yusuf Demir of Rapid Vienna has caught the eye of many European giants with ESPN reporting them to be monitoring his situation closely.  The 17-year-old made his debut in the Austrian league in 2019 and has already made 29 appearances.

The left-footed versatile midfielder has scored 6 goals and provided 2 assists in 23 appearances this season. Yusuf has also been a regular part of the country’s U21 squad.

Man City, Man United, Dortmund, Bayern, and now Barca are all waiting for the player to turn 18 on June 2nd in order to secure him. The Catalan side have shown interest in signing the youngster for many months now and the new board under Laporta’s leadership will decide on the matter in the near future.

Demir is said to cost around 15 million euros but with many sides interested, the amount remains uncertain.

Should Barca look to sign the attacking midfielder or the presence of Riqui Puig, Pedri, Iliax Moriba, and Frenkie de Jong state that the role is already occupied?