Barcelona had an extremely difficult time finding a midfield earlier this summer. Due to the club’s finances, they could not target a world-class star to replace the outgoing Sergio Busquets.
In the end, due to financial constraints, they had to settle for Oriol Romeu. The former Girona star has not been a bad signing by any means, but it appears the club need more quality in the middle of the park.
Barcelona target Martin Zubimendi
According to Mundo Deportivo, Barcelona are expected to splurge on a new midfielder in the summer of 2024.
The club have targeted three ideal candidates, including Atalanta’s Ederson and Newcastle United’s Bruno Guimaraes.
The third option on this list is Martin Zubimendi, the Real Sociedad starlet who continues to draw praise due to his performances at the highest level.
A product of the Sociedad youth system, Zubimendi has featured in over 150 competitive matches for the Txuri-Urdin. He is currently regarded as one of Spain’s finest midfield talents.
Xavi’s favourite
This is not the first time Barcelona are eyeing a move for Martin Zubimendi. In fact, the Spaniard was the club’s top midfield target earlier in the summer, but the club were not in a position to finance the deal.
Nevertheless, Zubimendi, who has a €60 million release clause in his contract, remains the utmost priority for Barcelona next summer, as the player is Xavi’s favourite.
Very few can blame Xavi for pushing a move for Zubimendi either. The 24-year-old is extremely talented on the ball and has the ability to circulate possession.
Among the three options Barcelona are exploring, Zubimendi is the better suited to replace Busquets. However, it remains to be seen whether or not the Catalans can strike a deal with Real Sociedad this time around.
