Getty Xavi is a big admirer of Aleix Garrido
Barcelona will need to decide on a replacement for midfielder Sergio Busquets soon, as the club legend is expected to call time on his incredible Camp Nou career at the end of the season when his current deal with the Catalan giants ends.
Succeeding Busquets will not be an easy task and a host of names have already been linked with a move to Barcelona. Wolves midfielder Ruben Neves is a player who is liked by the Catalans and appears to be edging closer to a deal.
Indeed, Barcelona are said to have “practically closed” a deal for the Portugal international, according to reliable journalist Veronica Brunati. Neves is out of contact at Wolves in 2024 which means the club will be keen to sell this summer to avoid losing him on a free transfer. He is currently valued at around €40 million.
Neves would then move to Barcelona and join the likes of Frenkie de Jong, Pedri, Gavi, and Pablo Torre as Xavi’s midfield options. Franck Kessie may also be available but is already being linked with an exit after struggling to make an impact at the club.
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Neves Talks Up Barcelona Move
Neves has regularly been linked with a move to Barcelona and spoke about the speculation regarding his future in October. The midfielder made it clear in an interview that he would love to play at the Camp Nou.
“Who wouldn’t want to play for Barcelona? If you ask in general, all the players want to play for Barca, one of the best clubs in the world,” he said. “It’s a privilege for me to be associated with this team.”
Neves also spoke about how Busquets has been a “great reference” for him, and he could now get the chance to take over from the club legend next season. The 34-year-old is expected to wave goodbye to Barca in summer 2023 and head to the United States to finish his career in Major League Soccer.
Barcelona Have Work To Do
Barcelona still have work to do in the transfer market, with president Joan Laporta already admitting that January signings are unlikely unless the club can offload players first, as reported by Eurosport.
“Now the club is in economic recovery.But despite that, according to the rules of Financial Fair Play of the Spanish league, we can not sign [players],” he said. “Us and some other La Liga clubs are also trying to convince La Liga to be more flexible, and allow us other types of interpretations that can make Barcelona even stronger.”
Barcelona have waved goodbye to Gerard Pique, which will help reduce their wage bill, and are being tipped to offload Memphis Depay in January. Hector Bellerin, Marcos Alonso and Sergi Roberto are also players who could leave at the end of the season as they will be out of contract along with Busquets.
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