With Barcelona growing desperate in their pursuit of a new pivot midfielder to replace Sergio Busquets, it appears that manager Xavi Hernandez is ready to go to extreme lengths to secure a player for the position.
The Barcelona head coach had been pushing for Martin Zubimendi, but seeing as the signing of the Real Sociedad ace is difficult and with the same holding true for Joshua Kimmich as well, it seems the 43-year-old tactician is prepared to move for alternative targets.
And, according to a report from SPORT, Xavi is now prepared to greenlight a swap deal involving Barcelona midfielder Franck Kessie and Inter Milan ace Marcelo Brozovic so that the latter can come in and take up the pivot position for the Catalans.
Brozovic has been on the radars of the La Liga champions for a while now. In fact, a swap deal involving Kessie and the Croatian international was very much on the agenda in the January transfer window. However, the move did not materialise due to multiple reasons.
But, Inter have continued to remain interested in Kessie, who Barcelona are hoping to sell for around €35 million. The Nerazzurri, though, cannot afford to spend that much on his signing and are offering up swap deals, with Brozovic’s name on the table.
And, now, Barcelona boss Xavi is willing to accept such a proposal. The 30-year-old Inter Milan star could be a good short-term solution for the Catalan heavyweights, although there are some concerns within the club’s technical staff over the swap deal.
For starters, Kessie, at 26, is in his prime years whereas Brozovic will be turning 31 in less than six months. Furthermore, given the relaxed tax laws in Italy, the Croatian’s salary is quite high, which could become an issue for the Blaugrana.
Barcelona and Inter Milan have been in contact to discuss possible operations and more conversations are expected to take place in the coming weeks, with the Kessie-Brozovic operation likely to be on the agenda.
However, any move will depend on the Financial Fair Play situation as Barça cannot guarantee Brozovic’s registration until there are some important exits.