Barcelona will be in the market for a new defensive midfielder this summer, with Oriol Romeu having massively struggled to live up to being Sergio Busquets’ successor. Andreas Christensen has been utilised in the role over the last couple of months, but the Catalan giants want a more permanent fixture in their squad for the 2024-25 season and beyond.
One option that could be available to them is Napoli’s Stanislav Lobotka. The 29-year-old has experience of playing in Spain – having been with Celta Vigo from 2017 to 2020 – and he left the door open for a return to La Liga, as per RTVS.
“Barcelona? I am a Napoli player. Of course, it’s a pleasure when your childhood idol (Xavi) praises you for how you play, it gives me energy to continue working on myself. We’ll see what happens in the summer.”
#Lobotka a RTVS: “Barcellona? Sono un giocatore del Napoli. Certo, è un piacere quando il tuo idolo d'infanzia (Xavi) ti loda per come giochi, mi dà energia per continuare a lavorare su me stesso. Vedremo cosa succederà in estate”. pic.twitter.com/HQ2PxwTMom
— Gianmarco Giordano (@GianmarcoGio) March 27, 2024
Lobotka is unlikely to be a long-term option for Barcelona, and he probably won’t be high on their shortlist at this stage. Still, it could be one to watch this summer.