Getty Danilo has been offered to Barcelona.
Sergio Busquets is heading towards the end of his incredible Barcelona career and could even opt to leave the Camp Nou when his current contract expires at the end of next season.
Barcelona will find it tough replacing the 33-year-old captain but have been handed the chance to sign one of South America’s most impressive young midfielders, as reported by Diario Sport’s Joaqium Piera.
Palmeiras starlet Danilo has been “offered” to the Catalan giants for a fee of between €20-25 million. The 21-year-old midfielder “would be delighted” to join Barcelona after starring for the Brazilian side.
Danilo has already won the Copa Liberatadores twice, one Copa do Brasil, one Recopa, and one Paulista in his fledging career. The midfielder has also just received his first call-up to the Brazilian national team for friendlies in June against Korea Republic, Japan and Argentina.
The offer has come to Barcelona from Danilo’s agents Kia Joorabichian and Giuliano Bertolucci. The duo also represent former Barca playmaker Philippe Coutinho who has recently completed a permanent move to Aston Villa.
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Who is Danilo?
Danilo is a left-footed defensive midfielder who prefers to play on the right. He can feature either in front of the defence or as a pivot. He is known for his strength and ability to recover the ball but is also able to contribute goals.
The youngster has caught the eye back in Brazil but also on the world stage. Danilo won the Bronze Ball award at the Club World Cup in 2021. Palmeiras lost to Chelsea in the final but Danilo won the award ahead of more experienced midfielders such as Jorginho and N’Golo Kante.
2021 Club World Cup Players of the Tournament:
🥇 Golden Ball: Thiago Silva
🥈 Silver Ball: Dudu
🥉 Bronze Ball: Danilo
A clean sweep for Brazil. 🇧🇷
Danilo spoke to BandNewsFM after the match how it was an honor to come up against Kante in the final, a player he has been inspired by during his career, as reported by Goal.
“Kante is a different player because of what he does on the field: he’ll run, get the ball and come back, he never tires,” he said. “He is is one of the players I watch most at Chelsea and the one who inspires me most.”
Team-mate Dudu has already told ESPN that he sees Danilo playing for a top team at some point in the future and has made it clear just how highly he rates the young midfielder.
“He is a star, he has to play in the Premier League. You have to play in Manchester United, or Arsenal. He has to stay calm, he is a kid who gives his all, but I tell him: ‘You are a player for Chelsea, those kind of teams,’ he said. “He scores, he gets in the area, he helps with marking. He is a complete midfielder in Brazilian football.”
Xavi Talks Busquets Future
Meanwhile, Barcelona coach Xavi has opened up on his team’s need to find a replacement for Busquets. The manager told reporters at a pre-match press conference before his team’s win over Celta that Barca must plan for the future.
“It’s hard to find a substitute for Busquets, someone with his characteristics. Tomorrow we will miss him but we have various options,” he said. “Busquets won’t be eternal, he’s human like the rest of us, so we need to plan ahead. Barca should, at the minimum, have two players in each position. That’s important. We need to think about the future.”
Danilo is one of several players who have been linked with a move to Barcelona to potentially succeed Busquets. The Catalan giants are also reportedly looking at Real Sociedad midfielder Martín Zubimendi, Monaco’s Aurélien Tchouaméni, and Reuben Neves of Wolverhampton Wanderers.
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