Barcelona considering summer move for 2022 World Cup runner up

Barcelona’s search for a new pivot in the summer is expected to take them across Europe during the coming transfer market. The Catalans are hell-bent on signing someone to take over Sergio Busquets’ throne, and consider it their top priority, after of course, replacing Xavi.

A move for some of the more established names like Joshua Kimmich or Martin Zubimendi will be next to impossible.

Firstly, Bayern Munich are not interested in selling the former, and even if they were, he would cost upwards of €50-60 million despite being on the last year of his contract.

And as far as Zubimendi is concerned, the Spaniard has a release clause of €60 million in his contract, and Barcelona are in no position to trigger that, at least this summer.

As such, they have set their eyes on several other players, including AS Monaco’s Youssouf Fofana, as per a report from Mundo Deportivo.

Currently the vice-captain of the Ligue 1 outfit, Fofana is enjoying an impressive season at an individual level, and is perhaps due a bigger move for a couple of years at this point.

In fact, Fofana was expected to leave Monaco last summer itself, and had a few offers on the table, as he confirmed to TNT in an interview.

“Exactly. It wasn’t a choice by default. I had offers last summer, but the club didn’t push me out. The coach had some important words for me: ‘If you have to leave, you can, but if you stay, I’ll be happy to work with you.’”

His contract with Monaco expires next summer, which means he could be available for cheap come this summer. However, Fofana is evidently attached to Monaco and Barcelona will need a lot to pull him away from them.