Barcelona are looking to strengthen their squad again this summer, but will do so with more needs than they will funds. It will likely lead them down avenues that they do not normally explore.
With a €200m deficit in their salary limit and unable to register new contracts currently, Barcelona are currently awaiting the approval of their viability plan, which will allow them to sign new players.
Even so, with Franck Kessie likely to be up for sale, and Sergio Busquets on his way out at the end of his contract, it leaves Xavi Hernandez looking at just four guaranteed midfielders in his squad next season in Frenkie de Jong, Gavi Pedri and Pablo Torre, whom he is so far yet to trust.
Ilkay Gundogan has been linked with a move, but now Brazilian midfielder Raphael Veiga has been mentioned as a potential option that would not break the bank. Standing out as one of the best midfielders on the continent, the Brazil international is part of the immensely successful Palmeiras side.
At 27, normally the Blaugrana would not be interested in a player in the Brazilian league, but they would get a player entering his prime immediately. Scoring 68 goals over the last three seasons, and counting 10 goals and 8 assists in 23 appearances this campaign, he is amongst the most effective in Brazil though. Over each of those seasons, Veiga has scored at least 18 goals in each.
As Sport note, Veiga is left-footed and often operates in the final third as a midfielder. Capable of incisive passes to forwards, he would help address an area that Barcelona tend to struggle with. They also highlight that he is used to facing packed defences in Brazil, something he would also face in Catalonia, and has a talent for exploiting space whether on the counter or in possession.
When Xavi Hernandez took charge of Barcelona, he mentioned that the club was a footballing desert and that he had to teach the players positional play from scratch – Veiga should be reasonably quick to adapt, showing a good understanding of the collective game and operating under Abel Ferreira, one of the most highly-rated managers in South America.
Of course, part of the attraction for Barcelona is his price tag and the fact that he would perhaps command less of a wage than some other recruits of similar skillset. Yet if he can make the jump in quality, that profile would fit well with what Xavi wants from his midfielders.
