Barcelona target 'bargain' Liverpool midfielder to replace Busquets

Cameron Smith

• 18 Apr 2023 13:00 BST
• 3 min read

Barcelona have reportedly identified Liverpool midfielder Fabricio Diaz as the perfect transfer target and believes he is well suited to replace Sergio Busquets at the club, according to reports.

Diaz, who plays for Uruguayan side Liverpool FC, is just 20 years old, but he is extremely highly-rated and has already played 115 times in senior football.

He helped Liverpool to Supercopa glory in the 2019/20 season by netting in the final, and has eight goals in 19 caps for Uruguay's U-20 side, but is yet to make his senior national team debut.

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According to Spanish outlet Sport, Barcelona are convinced by his talent and believe he is good enough to replace Busquets and immediately feature in the first-team. Liverpool will reportedly demand a fee of €6m, which doesn't far exceed his ETV of €4m.

Estimated Transfer Value (ETV) explained

Our Player Valuation Model calculates an Estimated Transfer Value (ETV) for more than 240.000 players in the world.

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Our Player Valuation Model calculates an Estimated Transfer Value (ETV) for more than 240.000 players in the world. It uses information on the player's skill, potential, performance, contract duration, position and other statistics to estimate an accurate ETV.

Read more here.

However, that price has been described as a "bargain" by Blaugrana fans, who are desperate for their team to pursue the midfielder.

One reply on Twitter read: "6m for Fabricio Díaz? That's a steal! I'm sure Barcelona will finally find the pivot they've been looking for in their bargain bin."

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Is Diaz what Barcelona need?

The 20-year-old scored on his Liverpool debut during the aforementioned Supercopa final in 2020 and quickly established himself as a key member of the club's first-team squad.

With Busquets set to move on when his contract expires this summer, Xavi will be in the market for a replacement, unless he believes Frenkie de Jong is suited to the lone pivot role at Camp Nou.

Manchester City's Ilkay Gundogan has been heavily linked with a transfer to the Blaugrana, but the German has featured more advanced at the Etihad Stadium in recent years, meaning there might be space for Diaz at the base of midfield.

Wonderkid Gavi's future remains unknown amid interest from Chelsea, but Barcelona are confident that he will still be at the club next campaign, while De Jong will likely be linked with a transfer to Manchester United yet again.

Barcelona have reportedly met with Diaz's representatives and are hopeful of agreeing a deal for the talented young midfielder.