Barcelona have been handed a lifeline in their hunt for Inter midfielder Marcelo Brozovic as the Croatian has stalled on a potential move to Saudi Arabia.
The 30-year-old is of interest to Xavi as he searches for a replacement for Sergio Busquets, but a bid in the region of £19.8m from Saudi side Al-Nassr meant that the midfielder looked set to join Cristiano Ronaldo in the Middle East.
However, Fabrizio Romano has now revealed that Marcelo Brozovic has rejected the contract proposal offered to him, and is also aware of the interest from Barcelona.
In a tweet, Romano claimed that the Croatia international was in no rush to accept the offer on the table, which will give Barcelona an opportunity to swoop in.
Could Barcelona sign Brozovic?
The transfer fee to Inter could provide a stumbling block, and departures may be necessary for Barcelona to fund a move for Brozovic.
If they are able to sell Franck Kessie, then space could open up for Brozovic, who is being eyed up for his experience to join Ilkay Gundogan in the attempt to replace Busquets.
Brozovic would be able to play in Busquets’ deeper role, and he ranks highly among his peers for passing ability.
With other deeper midfielders including Dani Parejo linked, it is clear that Xavi is keen for another defensively strong midfielder, and may see Gundogan as an option further forward.
It remains to be seen whether Frenkie De Jong could be looked at as an internal solution in the number six role, as given the current financial problems, a deal for Brozovic may be difficult to complete.
Brozovic has made 330 appearances for Inter, and has appeared in both the World Cup and Champions League finals in recent years. His experience could be useful alongside younger options in Pedri and Gavi, and at 30, he could join as an option for the next few seasons.
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