Despite having been very active in the transfer market so far this summer, completing deals for Ilkay Gundogan and Inigo Martinez in the process, Barcelona have yet to address the biggest issue in Xavi Hernandez’s squad.
Sergio Busquets’ departure at the end of last month has left Barcelona without a natural pivot in their first team setup. As a result, they will be required to sign at least one option this summer.
Oriol Romeu is their top target at this stage, although they are considering other options. According to Sky Sport (via Sport), one of those is Romeo Lavia, who shot to stardom last season after a string of impressive performances at Southampton.
Lavia had an excellent individual campaign, although he was unable to help the Saints avoid relegation from the Premier League. Several top clubs, including Liverpool and Arsenal, are also interested in signing him, so Barcelona’s task will be extremely difficult.
Realistically, there is a very small chance that Barcelona are able to sign Lavia this summer. Given their financial woes, they will surely be unable to meet Southampton’s asking price, believed to be £50m, nor will they be able to compete with other interested clubs.