Transfer news expert Fabrizio Romano has played down Barcelona’s links with West Ham United midfielder Pablo Fornals, saying the club do not see him as a priority at the moment.
Fornals Tipped To Fill In For Barcelona Star Gavi
Barcelona ace Gavi tore his Anterior Cruciate Ligament (ACL) and injured his meniscus while representing Spain in the UEFA EURO 2024 qualifiers earlier this month. As a result, he is likely to spend the remainder of the 2023-24 season on the treatment table.
With one of their top central midfielders ruled out for the season, Barcelona could look for reinforcements in the January transfer window. And according to some reports, Fornals is a player they like. The Spaniard has featured sporadically for the Hammers this season, playing just 425 minutes of scorer in 11 matches across competitions. Considering the fact that the 27-year-old is not an integral part of David Moyes’ XI, Barcelona could theoretically get him on their books either on loan or for a discounted price.
Fabrizio Romano Claims Barca Are Prioritizing Their Attack
Transfer guru Romano, however, is not sure whether there is any truth to the reports, with him claiming that the club are prioritizing the signing of highly rated young forward, Vitor Roque. As per the Italian journalist, cash-strapped Blaugrana are concentrating on bringing the Brazilian teenager to Camp Nou without breaching Financial Fair Play rules next summer.
In his Daily Briefing column, Romano revealed (via Caught Offside):
“Pablo Fornals – There have been some surprise links between Pablo Fornals and Barcelona, with the West Ham midfielder supposedly mentioned as an option to cover for the injured Gavi.
“Still, I’m not aware of concrete talks for Fornals so far, there’s still nothing decided in terms of a new midfielder; as Deco said, the situation is still very quiet. Barcelona’s priority is to use funds on Financial Fair Play to register Vitor Roque.”
The 18-year-old, whom Barcelona have agreed to sign from Athletico-PR for €40 million next summer, is one of the most sought-after youngsters in the world at the moment. He has played 42 games for the club this season, scoring 20 times and providing eight assists.
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