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Barcelona midfielder Miralem Pjanic has struggled to make an impact at the Camp Nou this season following his summer move from Juventus and could be on his way at the end of the 2020-21 campaign.
According to Diario Sport, both Chelsea and Inter Milan are keen on signing the 31-year-old Bosnia and Herzegovina international and have “already asked about him.”
Indeed, Pjanic is described as having “one foot out of the door” after a campaign where he’s made just six La Liga starts for the Catalan giants. The report adds that Pjanic “wouldn’t object to a move to a top club,” and Barca “would like to move him on” because of his high salary.
Pjanic arrived at Barcelona for a fee of €65 million ($73 million) in June 2020. The transfer was announced shortly after Barca had confirmed the departure of Brazilian midfielder Arthur to Juventus in a deal worth €72 million ($81m) plus up to €10m in bonuses.
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Pjanic Slips Down Pecking Order
It’s difficult to see Pjanic featuring much in Barcelona’s final four matches of the season as the Bosnian has slipped down the pecking order as the season has progressed at the Camp Nou.
The 31-year-old looked set to provide competition to Sergio Busquets after his arrival from Juve, but the Spain international has gone on to feature regularly and has been in excellent form in recent weeks.
Frenkie de Jong and Pedri have nailed down the other two spots in midfield, while 18-year-old starlet Ilaix Moriba has also risen above Pjanic in the pecking order under Ronald Koeman.
The teenager appears to be Koeman’s first choice off the bench currently and is expected to be promoted to the first-team squad in time for next season after impressing in 2020-21.
Pjanic Unhappy On Barcelona Bench
Pjanic has made it pretty clear he’s not happy with life on the bench on a couple of occasions this season which suggests he may well seek a new challenge in time for the 2021-22 campaign.
The midfielder spoke to La Gazzetta dello Sport about his frustrations back in December 2020 and said he did not understand why he was not being selected regularly by coach Koeman.
“Yes, I want to play more, that’s what I want. Honestly, I don’t even understand the reason for this situation,” he said. “It is clear that I want to play a lot more. I know I can give a lot, and when the coach has given me the option, I have always answered. I did well, I played good games. More than that, I don’t know what to do. I’m training, I’m ready.”
Pjanic then urged Koeman to give him a chance in an interview with Mundo Deportivo in March. The midfielder also insisted he does not want to leave after just one season at the Camp Nou.
“I did not sign for Barca to leave the following year, I signed to make history in a club that has been on my path for many years,” he said. “I came to Barca because of my style and experience as a winner, that’s what they asked me to contribute. I’ve come to Barca to win the Champions League, that’s my goal. This year I want to help them win double, that’s my mentality and I never give up. I would ask Koeman for two or three games to show my football.”
Yet there’s no doubt that Pjanic has failed to convince Koeman, and he may have little choice but to seek a move if he wants to play regularly. Time is hardly on the midfielder’s side either. Pjanic turned 31 in April and surely won’t want to spend the final few years of his career on the bench.
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