Barcelona identify replacement for struggling Busquets

FT Desk

• 25 Oct 2022 20:53 BST
• 4 min read

Barcelona have been heavily linked with Ruben Neves, Martin Zubimendi and latterly Ibrahim Sangaré as Sergio Busquets' long-term replacement in midfield, but the solution could lie elsewhere.

Busquets has won eight La Ligas and three Champions Leagues since first breaking into Barca's first team in 2008, but he turns 35 in the summer, when his contract is up at Camp Nou.

Barca may boast a ready-made replacement in their ranks in Frenkie de Jong, but that hasn't stopped them from being linked with a host midfielders in recent weeks and months. The most recent could make the most sense yet.

Edson Alvarez has impressed since joining Ajax from Club America in 2019, and the Mexican has now come into focus at Camp Nou.

"Barca are determined to sign a high-level defensive midfielder in January, and they are more able to invest then than in the summer due to the salary limit," write Spanish daily newspaper, Sport.

"The sporting department know that they can’t make a mistake in a key position with Busquets leaving and one of the players they have identified is Edson Alvarez who is at Ajax, a club Barca have a great relationship with."

Alvarez should be available for around €50 million, despite Chelsea seeing a bid for that amount knocked back in the summer.

The circumstances are different now, however. In the most recent transfer window, Ajax were plundered, with Antony and Lisandro Martinez leaving for Manchester United, Sebastien Haller for Borussia Dortmund and Ryan Gravenberch for Ajax.

The bid for Alvarez also came late in the window, with Ajax not having enough time to source his replacement.

How good is Alvarez?

Alvarez is a defensive midfielder who can also deputise at centre-back, and he boasts the requisite grit, with an average of four aerial duels won, three tackles and two clearances made per 90 minutes over the last year.

But he also shares some of Busquets skill-set, that is to say, he looks after the ball and makes five successful progressive passes per game.

Ajax play a 4-3-3, just like Barca, so he should adapt quickly from a tactical point of view, while he is a native Spanish speaker as a Mexican.