Barcelona send scouts to watch Liverpool target as they chase Busquets replacement
Karan Tejwani
- 12 Oct 2022 11:05 BST
- 3 min read
Barcelona are in the market for a replacement for Sergio Busquets, who is set to leave the club at the end of the season as his contract comes to an end.
Busquets is set to leave the club after several successful years, with Barcelona now planning the future of their midfield and they are looking for an adequate replacement for the player.
They have been linked to a host of players including Real Sociedad’s Martin Zubimendi, while also looking at their own squad, hoping to have Frenkie de Jong play in that role.
They have also set out scouts to watch Benfica star Enzo Fernandez, but may face competition for him as he is being watched by several other clubs following a great start to the season.
Related articles
Barcelona and Liverpool targeting Fernandez
Fernandez only moved to Benfica this past summer after impressing at River Plate previously, and is already a full Argentina international, having made his debut earlier this year.
The 21-year-old is set to fly out to the World Cup in Qatar this year, with his midfield qualities widely appreciated by those within the Argentina set-up and it would be a worthy reward for his start to the season.
Liverpool are also interested in the player having had midfield problems of their own over the last year, and want to add to depth to their squad after suffering in that department all season.
Fabinho hasn’t been in the best form, while Thiago is struggling with fitness while others such as Naby Keita, Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain and James Milner are out of contract at the end of the season.
According to Sport, Barcelona are understood to be admirers of the Argentine’s first touch, positioning and his ability to link play efficiently.
The stock of Enzo Fernández has risen a lot recently. He has a great chance at being at the World Cup and he can play such an important role too. Extremely in form and in a tournament like the World Cup, that is vital. He can absolutely be a game changer. 🇦🇷 pic.twitter.com/xKMoPC0fnf
— Roy Nemer (@RoyNemer) October 11, 2022
Benfica bought 80 percent of Fernandez’s transfer rights from River Plate by paying a €15 million fee earlier this year, and as a result, would be open to selling the player for a much higher fee in the summer.
Barcelona have been keeping tabs on his progress and sent a scout out to Benfica’s match against Paris Saint-Germain in the Champions League to get a better understanding of him.
Whether he gets a move will be interesting to see, but Barcelona would certainly have been impressed by what they saw of Fernandez as he was named Man of the Match.
