Barcelona are reportedly set to table an offer of €50 million to land Julian Weigl from Borussia Dortmund in the summer.
Spanish publication Don Balon have reported that Barcelona are set to make a move for Julian Weigl, with the German midfielder unsettled at the Westfalenstadion following the dismissal of Thomas Tuchel from the helm at Borussia Dortmund.
Weigl arrived at Dortmund in the summer of 2015 from 1860 Munich, and almost immediately carved out a regular place for himself in the Bundesliga giants’ first-team setup. Now completing his second season at the club, the 21-year-old has become a fan favourite at the Signal Iduna Park and a vital cog for his side.
A mainstay in midfield, Weigl played 43 games in all competitions for Dortmund in 2016/17 before a gruesome ankle injury ended his campaign prematurely. The Germany international is now set to face a lengthy spell on the sidelines, and is unlikely to be fit on time for the start of next season.
The aforementioned injury notwithstanding, Weigl seems likely to make a move away from Dortmund this summer, with Barcelona – long-term admirers of the player – keen to secure a move for the player, whom they see as the natural heir to Sergio Busquets.
With growing uncertainty surrounding his future at the Westfalenstadion, Barcelona are set to pounce on the situation to land Weigl in the summer transfer window.
The Catalan club are long-time admirers of the player’s talents, and are desperate to sign a quality midfielder ahead of the 2017/18 season, following the inconsistent performances of Ivan Rakitic, Denis Suarez and Andre Gomes this term.
To make matters more concerning, club captain Andres Iniesta is also approaching the end of his glittering career, which has forced the Blaugranas to accelerate the process of finding his replacement. Barcelona, though, are eyeing Weigl as the long-term successor to Sergio Busquets.
Indeed, the player has been famously labelled as the “next Sergio Busquets”, thanks to his tenacious ability to keep things tight in front of his defence while also displaying tremendous qualities on the ball to build up play from the centre of the park.
In the immediate future, though, the 21-year-old is likely to slot alongside Busquets and Iniesta in the midfield trio for Ernesto Valverde’s team. However, Weigl penned a fresh long-term deal with Dortmund earlier this season and is likely to command a sizable fee in the summer.
Barcelona, though, are confident that an offer of €50 million could be enough to secure his services, and it remains to be seen if they are able to land the player in the summer.
