Reported Spurs target Miralem Pjanic was left out of Barcelona’s La Liga opener as Ronald Koeman only picked players who represent the “future of this club”, in quotes reported by Tuttomercatoweb.
If there’s a single signing that sums up Barca’s bizarre, almost comical approach to recruitment, it’s not that of Moussa Dembele, Antoine Griezmann or Philippe Coutinho.
Just one year after paying £55 million for 30-year-old Pjanic – an investment that looked bone-headed at the time given his lack of resale value – the Blaugrana are now looking to terminate the final three years of his contract and get rid of the Bosnian veteran on a free transfer.
Could you call Barca’s decision to bring him in as a ‘Pjanic buy’? Regardless of the quality – or not – of that pun, the midfielder isn’t going to go without a fight.
According to Goal, the former Juventus, Roma and Lyon star is reluctant to leave Camp Nou so soon after arriving.
That’s despite interest from the likes of Tottenham Hotspur in a man who deserves better than becoming an unfortunate pawn in a sorry game of transfer market chess.
Fabio Paratici, Spurs’ sporting director, knows Pjanic closely from their time together in Turin.
And, according to Sport, Nuno Espirito Santo has given the green light to a move for one of Europe’s finest playmakers – and a genuine set-piece master to boot – as he looks to add some star quality to an engine room high on effort but low on elegance.
Miralem Pjanic may join Spurs for free
And Pjanic was conspicuous by his absence as a Martin Braithwaite-inspired Barcelona beat Real Sociedad 4-2 at Camp Nou yesterday.
“We have 27 players. I have to leave out four and everyone knows (Pjanic’s) situation perfectly,” said Koeman, who included four teenagers on the bench, including 17-year-old playmaker Gavi.
“I’m a coach who always gives a chance to young people who are the future of this club.”
Samuel Umtiti, the World Cup winner who has been linked with Arsenal and Liverpool, was also nowhere to be seen on Sunday.
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