New Barcelona Coach Gerardo ‘Tata’ Martino has reportedly already identified two possible defensive transfer targets for the club this summer.
The Catalans have been linked with recruiting in defence this transfer window and had been seen as pursuing Paris Saint-Germain’s Thiago Silva in recent weeks.
However, with that trail going cold and with a change of Coach having been initiated in the last week due to Tito Vilanova having to step down, two new targets have emerged for the Blaugrana.
New boss Martino is reportedly pushing Barca to look at Santiago Vergini, whose contract has just expired at Newell’s Old Boys and is well known to the 50-year-old, who only left the Argentine club as Coach earlier this summer.
Sport and Mundo Deportivo list the 24-year-old centre-back as Martino’s preference to bring over to Catalonia this summer.
Vergini, who has had previous experience of Europe through a loan spell a few years ago with Verona, is tall and versatile, able to play centre-back or full-back. El Confidencial believe that initial contact has already been made.
Vergini is believed to head Martino’s list of suggested recruitments and is seen by Marca as closely followed by former Real Madrid defender Walter Samuel.
The 35-year-old Argentine is currently on the books at Inter and only last month committed himself to the Italians with a one-year contract extension through to next summer.
