Links between Barcelona and Domenico Berardi have intensified after the Sassuolo forward reportedly visited Catalonia last week.
According to Mundo Deportivo, Berardi recently spent a few days in Barcelona and remains in contact with executives of the Catalan club, who could now be about to fight Juventus for the attacker.
Juve signed the 21-year-old from Sassuolo two years ago but sold some of their rights back to the Neroverdi last summer, yet general manager Beppe Marotta confirmed on Thursday that his club could regain full ownership of the player for €25m.
Nonetheless, Barca could either bank on Juve ultimately passing up their first option or negotiate his signing with the Bianconeri, although the second option would leave the latter in a strong bargaining position and possibly requesting one of Dani Alves and Javier Mascherano in return.
The Italian, who has yet to be capped by his country and will not figure at Euro 2016, is reportedly one of Barca’s most-watched players, with international sporting director Ariedo Braida and four of technical secretary Robert Fernandez’s scouts all seeing him play live and writing positive reports.
Along with Alves and Mascherano, La Blaugrana could lose one of Claudio Bravo and Marc-Andre ter Stegen this summer, while Ousmane Dembele has joined Borussia Dortmund and Nolito is tipped for a move to the Premier League.
That leaves Kevin Gameiro, Paco Alcacer and Luca Perez, plus Berardi, as Barca’s four options for their fourth forward to supplement ‘MSN’.
