Lionel Messi is looking to convince his compatriot into snubbing London-based Premier League giants and join Barcelona this summer.
onel Messi is looking to convince his compatriot into snubbing London-based Premier League giants and join Barcelona this summer.
Barcelona are bracing for a major squad revamp this summer. In spite of succeeding incredibly on the domestic front, the Catalans have not been able to stamp their authority in the Champions League and will be investing in a few positions with a motive of doing so. Their midfield has been a weak link and Frenkie de Jong could be joined another youngster.
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The Netherlands international will join the club next month and Ivan Rakitic could be heading out, with Paris Saint-Germain being a proposed destination. That would leave Barcelona with two ageing midfielders in their engine room in Sergio Busquets and Arturo Vidal. In order to create a trio of young players in the centre of the park, they will try to sign Giovani Lo Celso from Real Betis, according to Fox Sports.
Betis signed Lo Celso from Paris Saint-Germain last summer and within one year, the 23 year old’s stock has incrementally risen in the transfer market. Premier League giants Tottenham Hotspur, who initially targeted Jack Grealish from Aston Villa but have not made a signing for over 500 days, are trying to sign the Argentine.
Christian Eriksen is reportedly on Real Madrid’s radar and could leave north London, so Giovani Lo Celso may be a regular in the Premier League. Barcelona’s interest does flatter the midfielder, but he believes that the reigning champions of Spain will not be able to guarantee him minutes, therefore hindering his development. Hence, they are looking to use Lionel Messi as bait in order to steal Lo Celso from Tottenham.
If Giovani Lo Celso heads to London remains to be seen given that he had previously rejected transfers as he wanted to stay in Betis for longer. However, rejecting offers from a Champions League finalist and one of the world’s biggest clubs will be difficult, especially at such a ripe age. This will certainly be an interesting transfer battle to watch out for.
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