Barcelona have reportedly turned their attention to Juventus midfielder Miralem Pjanic as they continue to consider alternative options to Liverpool’s Philippe Coutinho.
The Catalan giants are still understood to regard Coutinho as their number one transfer target having missed out on the Brazilian during the summer, despite the player handing in a transfer request at Anfield.
The Reds stood firm on their stance despite Coutinho’s transfer request and refused to sell him to the Spanish giants. Liverpool turned down three offers from the Spanish side for Coutinho and maintained that the 25-year-old was not for sale.
Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp was resolute in his stance and in a position of strength because the player was under contract until 2022, having signed a new five-year contract in January.
However, Barcelona have begun to look elsewhere in case Liverpool once again refuse to sell the playmaker, with the likes of Christian Eriksen, Mesut Ozil and Leon Goretzka having also been linked with a move to the Camp Nou.
Spanish outlet Don Balon reports that Miralem Pjanic is on the list of La Liga leaders’ wish list, although Juventus would be similarly reluctant to lose the Bosnian playmaker. Barcelona manager Ernesto Valverde is thinking of strengthening the team in the summer transfer window with quality players.
And in the midfield, he has identified Juventus star Pjanic, in case he again fails to land Coutinho at Camp Nou.
Pjanic has been impressive for the Italian giants in the last two seasons. Even before signing for the Turin-based club, the Bosnian was in good shape at Roma. The 27-year-old has quickly established himself as an important part of the Juventus midfield and already boasts of 5 assists from 13 Serie A appearances this campaign.
The Spanish giants are thinking of trying a €45million offer to lure away the Bosnian at Camp Nou. Although it seems unlikely that Pjanic will leave Juventus, Barcelona will do everything to sign him.
The news of Pjanic being linked with a move to Barcelona will come as a huge sigh of relief for us in our hopes of keeping Coutinho at Anfield. The Brazilian has been our attacking lynchpin and led the team as an example with a hat-trick in the 7-0 demolition of Spartak Moscow in the Champions League.
Coutinho is one of the top playmakers in England and it’s easy to understand why Klopp fought tooth and nail in the summer to keep him at Anfield. Let’s hope he continues to stay committed to us for a long time.
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