Barcelona’s midfield target available for just €10 million this summer – report

Barcelona’s midfield target available for just €10 million this summer – report Frenkie de Jong’s injury has forced Barcelona to rethink their transfer plans this summer, with the club considering the possibility of signing a midfield replacement for him. The Dutch midfield maestro is set to be out for four to five months after suffering a tear to his medial collateral ligament and is set to undergo conservative treatment. The club have identified Morocco midfielder Azzedine Ounahi as a potential replacement , with Girona now relegated from La Liga . Ounahi becomes an affordable alternative Ounahi is a potential option for Barcelona. (Photo by Pedro Salado/Getty Images) Ounahi is viewed as an affordable midfield option. According to Mundo Deportivo , the 26-year-old is available for around €10 million this summer. The combination of Frenkie’s injury and Marc Casado leaving this summer has prompted Barcelona to look at options like Ounahi. Unlike some of the club’s more ambitious targets, Ounahi would represent a relatively inexpensive signing at a time when Barcelona continue to work within Financial Fair Play restrictions. The concern with Ounahi However, the Moroccan might not be a stylistic replacement for De Jong or Casado. There is no doubt that Ounahi is an excellent midfielder with immense potential, but he is primarily an attacking midfielder. The 26-year-old can be used in a role similar to Olmo’s when Flick chooses to deploy him deeper in midfield, but he cannot replicate the defensive prowess of De Jong or Casado. Ounahi could be a potential replacement for de Jong. (Photo by NICOLAS TUCAT/AFP via Getty Images) Even if Ounahi is available for €10 million, it is still significant cash for Barcelona in a position they do not necessarily need to reinforce. The smart option is to promote from within For Barça , the smarter option would be to promote from La Masia . The Barça academy has a track record of churning out midfielders at an almost unstoppable rate, and the situation now presents the club with an opportunity. The likes of Tommy Marques, Xavi Espart and Brian Farinas have all put up their hands for a deeper midfield position, and Flick could look at one of them. Signing Ounahi, on the other hand, would only block the progression of a talented midfielder like Ebrima Tunkara, who also plays as an attacking midfielder. Although the price is excellent for a player of the Moroccan’s quality, this is not a deal Barça should look to do this summer.