With Georginio Wijnaldum reportedly being set to join Paris Saint-Germain ahead of Barcelona, Tribuna.com have drawn a shortlist of alternatives the Catalans should consider.
The 27-year-old is definitely a more attacking option than Wijnaldum, but Barca would definitely benefit from his set of skills. Many fans want our midfielders to shoot from outside the box, and Calhanoglu is quite good at it.
In the 2020/21 season, Hakan recorded nine goals and 12 assists in 43 matches for AC Milan, as per Transfermarkt. His contract at the club expires on June 30, meaning that Blaugrana could get him for free.
Not the most obvious choice, but the 32-year-old could be a great squad player as he's capable of playing both as a defensive midfielder and centre-back.
Martinez's contract at Bayern Munich expires on June 30, and offering him a short deal for one or two seasons could be a decent idea. Javi's experience would serve us well in the short term, and he won't be blocking the progress of our La Masia midfielders in the long term.
It's said that the Uruguayan is one of the Juventus player Barca would be interested in swapping for Miralem Pjanic. Possessing a wide range of attributes, Bentancur can be used as both a central and defensive midfielder.
The 23-year-old has a good passing accuracy (90%) while also recording 0.9 key passes per game. He's also very solid defensively, amounting 1.4 interceptions and 1.9 tackles per 90 minutes. And finally, he can carry be ball forward pretty well, having a dribbling success of 69%.
In the 2020/21 season, Rodrigo was the 5th most-used player at Juve, playing 45 matches and recording four assists.
The 18-year-old was involved in the first-team dynamics in the 2020/21 season already (18 matches, 1 goal, 3 assists), but he could have a more important role next season. Thanks to his physicality, he's already able to compete against most rivals in La Liga.
Moriba is good on the ball as well, and can be a threat going forward thanks to his good shooting and aerial abilities .Ilaix might be lacking in terms of creativity, but considering his age, he's sure to improve.
Ronald Koeman staying at Barca might not be good news for Puig, but Wijnaldum choosing PSG ahead of us definitely is. He might not be the most physical player, but he's shown he can play against aggressive teams like Atletico Madrid back in the 2019/20 season.
It's said that the club wants the coach to give Riqui more chances next season, and in case no other midfielders arrive, the 21-year-old is sure to get them.
RELATED NEWS
Barcelona to reportedly put more trust in Moriba next season as Wijnaldum move falls through
Despite the Georginio Wijnaldum transfer falling through at the eleventh hour, Barcelona are calm, it's said. The Catalans are set to put in motion plan B, which would be trusting the Ilaix Moriba, ESPN's reliable Moises Llorens reports.
The La Masia talent already had some involvement in the first team dynamics last term, but it's said that both Barca and Ronald Koeman want to give him even more prominence in the new season.
Besides, with Wijnaldum going to Paris Saint-Germain, the talks regarding Moriba's extension are expected to go a lot smoother. The 18-year-old's current Barca deal expires in 2022.
In the 2020/21 season, Ilaix played 18 matches for the senior side, recording a goal and three assists, as per Transfermarkt.
'PSG relieved us of both Neymar and Wijnaldum, I love them': Global Barca fans react as Gini set to join PSG
Tribuna.com
Ezenwa Paul Enuenwosu: "I don't even blame him. I blame our previous board. They made the club sink so so low. Before, many players would take a pay cut just to join this Barca."
Damien Shang: "I have always said this, that guy is not going to do any good to Barca. We have better midfielders like Puig and Pedri. That guy can’t hold the ball and resist oppression and give good passes. Barca really need this kind of midfielders... "
Jye: "Like Johan Cruyff said: 'If you have second thoughts on playing for Barcelona, you are no longer of service to us.'"
@TheEuropeanLad: "Why does anyone want to pay €8M per year for Wijnaldum man 😂"
@dearatorres: "What we know so far is that PSG relieved Barça of a cancerous Neymar and now hijacked Wijnaldum. I'm sorry but I have every reason to absolutely love this club. Allez Paris!"
@ethancleverly10: "PSG hijacking the Wijnaldum deal last minute. Tears in my eyes!"
@XaviTempo_: "Barca hijacking Frenkie [De Jong] while PSG are hijacking Wijnaldum. We're not the same."
@SemperFiMessi: "When not signing a player is celebrated more than missing out on his signing."
@RAGNAROK1095: "This could be a blessing in disguise. More opportunities for Ilaix to develop and hopefully give Puig some playtime."
@siiilversurfffeeer: "I don't think it's better for us, since it was a free transfer with low wages and he would have provided some good squad depth. But I don’t think it’s that big of a loss since his role is already kind of covered and, while signing a midfielder would be nice, signing one to play in Busquets' position would be the best probably."
Ruud_Boltz: "I'm alright with Wijnaldum not joining. We have a depth of midfield options with the Barca B players joining next season... "
