With Barcelona looking set to miss out on Giorginio Wijnaldum, with the Liverpool midfielder closing in on a free transfer to Paris Saint-Germain, the Blaugrana will need to find a replacement and one that won’t break the bank.
It looked as if Wijnaldum was a cert to join Barcelona, and given that he would have arrived on a free transfer, plus the fact that he would bring much-needed reinforcements to Ronald Koeman‘s central midfield, it seemed a perfect match.
Now though, the Dutch midfielder looks set to join PSG and link up with Mauricio Pochettino. So here we look at the possible alternatives that Barcelona could now pursue instead of Wijnaldum.
Hakan Calhanoglu
Barcelona could move for the talented Turkish midfielder this summer. The 27-year-old’s contract at AC Milan is up this summer and he would bring his offensive and dead-ball capabilities to the Camp Nou should the club move for him. Victor Font had earmarked him during his run for the presidency and would have made a move if he had beaten Joan Laporta.
Fernandinho
Fernandinho’s career at Manchester City is at an end with the midfielder leaving the club when his contract expires. Whilst being 36 years old could prove a stumbling block, his outstanding ability and leadership would make him a welcome addition at Barcelona, as something of a player to relive the burden on Sergio Busquets.
Mundo Vazquez
With the Argentina’s contract at Sevilla coming to an end with no sign of being resolved, as well as his desire to stay in Europe rather than move to Argentina, he could make the move to the Camp Nou this summer.
