The summer transfer window has officially ended, with the clubs having finalized their season rosters. Even though FC Barcelona had a considerably decent transfer window, the club still feels the need for more options for better squad strength, considering the club's injury woes. Regarding the same, free transfers can be a viable option now for the Blaugrana club.
While it has been clear that FC Barcelona has been stellar so far, with the club performing equally well in all the spheres of the game, the thing that hasn't been in the club's favor has been injury issues. With stars like De Jong and Gavi injured, Marc Bernal's recent ACL injury, and Fermin's muscle issues, the club's midfield depth looks thinner than ever.
Star French international could be on FC Barcelona's radar as a free agent
Considering that de Jong's complete return seems difficult in the meantime, with Gavi being out till November, the Catalan club needs an experienced option to strengthen their midfield options. Currently, FC Barcelona has only 4 midfielders available, with 3 of them being regular starters, pointing to the need for the signing of a free agent.
While some really good options are currently available as free agents, the name that has been making the most rumors is French star Adrien Rabiot. Having won two of the top 5 European Leagues, the 29-year-old has been a seasoned veteran for the central midfield role. Being the versatile player he is, with significant experience as a pivot, Rabiot can even be an instant fit for Flick's double-pivot system.
Rabiot, having parted ways with Juventus, has been on the radar of FC Barcelona for quite a long time now, but still, much effort hasn't been made by the Catalan club. A possible reason could be the French midfielder's high salary, and as per reports from Mundo Deportivo, Rabiot would need to reduce his current salary demands of €10M per season.
FC Barcelona considers him a top-class player, assuming that Adrien Rabiot has become a free agent due to his massive wage demands, not because of his level. But, even then, having faced the struggle to register Dani Olmo recently, the Blaugrana club might not push for Rabiot, despite the player being everyone's favorite free agent.
Overall, even though further updates are yet to arrive regarding Rabiot's future, with certain clubs in the race for the French ace, it remains to be seen if Barca would pursue him or not.