Ahead of the summer, it seemed clear that Barcelona’s priority for the transfer window was a midfielder to help anchor the side, as rival teams flooded through them last season. However it appears that priority has changed.
Athletic Club winger Nico Williams was declared their priority target as he continued to impress at Euro 2024, and that appears to still be the case, despite the arrival of Dani Olmo. The Blaugrana had earlier pursued Amadou Onana, and shown interest in Mikel Merino, both look set for Premier League moves.
New manager Hansi Flick has also publicly declared that he is happy with his midfield options this season, following impressive preseason performances from Marc Casado and Marc Bernal. Yet before their tour to the US, Sport say they were still intending on signing a midfielder, and had even gotten in contact with Chelsea‘s Carney Chukwuemeka. If Flick should change his mind in the last three weeks of the transfer window, then he will be their priority.
Frenkie de Jong's intention has not changed at the moment: the Dutchman's will is to stay at Barcelona. @Glongari
— barcacentre (@barcacentre) August 9, 2024
The Blaugrana are reportedly consider his versatility and dynamism an attractive part of the package, and had been working on ways to work out a deal with Chelsea, after enquiring about the 20-year-old. He is waiting for further contact from Barcelona, but the Catalan daily do note that a deal is unlikely. If Sporting Director Deco is given the task of negotiating with Chelsea, then a move is described as complicated but not impossible due to is lack of minutes in preseason under Enzo Maresca.
It is worth recalling that Barcelona were interested in Chukwuemeka before he made his €18m switch from Aston Villa two summers ago. The Blaugrana were linked with him again in April as well. Given Onana and Merino were the two alternatives, it seems Barcelona and Deco are definitely keen on a more physical presence who can eat up ground going both ways, rather than a positional pivot, if they are to go into the market.
