Barcelona have been offered the chance to secure the signing of Marcel Sabitzer from Bayern Munich, as per reports.
The Austria international is due to return to the Säbener Strasse for pre-season following the end of his loan spell at Manchester United. However, Bayern’s midfield is stacked following the arrival of Sabitzer’s ex-RB Leipzig teammate Konrad Laimer, and the former isn’t considered part of Thomas Tuchel’s long-term plans.
As such, the search for Sabitzer’s new club is underway, and as per SPORT, Barcelona are the latest club to receive a knock on their door.
Bayern are willing to listen to offers for him, and Italian journalist Fabrizio Romano has suggested a fee in the region of €15m should be enough to sign the midfielder on a permanent transfer. He’s contracted to the club until 2025.
Agents eye Busquets’ vacant position at Barcelona
The report from the Spanish outlet adds that several agents and clubs have approached the Blaugrana to offer midfielders to fill the void at pivot following Sergio Busquets’s exit. The legendary Spaniard parted ways with the club after 18 years in Catalonia and has decided to move stateside to play alongside Lionel Messi at Inter Miami.
Barca have already announced the arrival of İlkay Gündoğan from Manchester City on a free transfer, but Xavi wants to add another option to his midfield, preferably someone who’s defensively sound and comfortable playing as the deepest midfielder.
Accordingly, it would make little sense for the Catalan outfit to entertain the idea of signing Sabitzer. The 29-year-old has occasionally played a defensive role in the middle of the park, but he thrives more in a creative role higher up the field.
Bayern do have a player who can massively improve Xavi’s midfield dynamics: Joshua Kimmich. But the German star is considered untouchable by the Bavarian club, and Barcelona don’t have a deep enough transfer war-chest this summer to test their resolve.