Barcelona will allegedly compete with La Liga rivals Atletico Madrid and Sevilla in the hunt to acquire 29-year-old Spanish international Luis Alberto, according to reports in the Spanish press.
Spanish publication Fichajes claims that Luis Alberto has surfaced as a target for Barcelona in the summer transfer market, with the club considering a move for the midfielder. The Spanish international is eager to return to La Liga, where clubs such as Atletico Madrid and Sevilla are interested in acquiring his services.
Since joining Lazio from Liverpool in August 2016, Luis Alberto has found a sense of stability in his professional life. Before joining Napoli, the 29-year-old had struggled to make a name for himself at a club, having played for Sevilla, Barcelona B, Liverpool, Malaga, and Deportivo La Coruna, all of whom he failed to impress during his time with the club.
However, he is currently largely considered as one of the top midfielders in Serie A, having progressed from strength to strength over the course of the previous five and a half seasons. Since joining Lazio, the Spanish international has made 207 appearances for the club, scoring 38 goals and assisting on 56 other occasions.
Alberto, on the other hand, has said that he would welcome the opportunity to return to La Liga while still at the top of his game. Three Spanish heavyweights, among them Barcelona, have taken note of the situation and have set their eyes on him. Barcelona is the most prominent of them.
The heightened interest in Barcelona arises as a result of the widespread uncertainty surrounding the future of Frenkie de Jong’s career. However, despite recent rumors claiming that the Dutch international is hesitant to leave Camp Nou, the Blaugrana may be obliged to sell him to balance their books and finance major purchases in the next summer transfer window.
However, if Frenkie de Jong remains at Camp Nou, the necessity to recruit a centre midfielder may be alleviated altogether. Nonetheless, the Catalan giants seem to be leaving their options open, with Paul Pogba, another midfielder on their radar, being a possible addition. In addition, Alberto is a feasible option for Barcelona in terms of a signing.
However, the Blaugranas will face heavy competition from other La Liga rivals in the hunt to acquire the 29-year-old Spanish international, with Atletico Madrid and Sevilla also interested in signing him. For the time being, it seems that Alberto is eager to return to Spain as soon as possible. It will be intriguing to watch if he joins Barcelona during the summer transfer window.
Will Barcelona be able to sign him?