Barcelona are interested in signing Sassuolo winger Domenico Berardi, who is also the subject of interest from Serie A outfit AS Roma.
According to a report by Spanish publication Sport, Barcelona are interested in signing Domenico Berardi, who is surprisingly being eyed as a possible successor to Luis Suarez. The Italian international is also being tailed by AS Roma, and could be the central figure in a transfer tug-of-war soon.
Berardi has long been regarded as one of the best talents to have emerged in Italian football in recent years. Since breaking into the first-team setup at Sassuolo at the nascent age of 18, he has constantly had the spotlight on him. And after a tryst with injuries, he seems to have finally got his career back on track, as his performances this season have shown.
In four matches thus far, the 24-year-old has a stunning haul of four goals and an assist, and there is a growing feeling that 2018-19 could be the season when he announces his arrival on the big stage. The Italian international’s exploits have definitely not gone unnoticed, with Barcelona and AS Roma showing an interest in him.
At first glance, the interest from Barcelona could seem a little surprising, considering they only bolstered the right side of their attack by signing Malcom from Bordeaux. In addition to the Brazilian youngster, Philippe Coutinho and Ousmane Dembele are other wide options for Ernesto Valverde, with the latter looking like he’s set to stay for the long haul at Camp Nou.
However, the report suggests that Barcelona are viewing the Italian international as a possible successor to Luis Suarez, who at 32, is in the twilight of his career, even though Berardi has never really played as an out-and-out striker. The Blaugrana though, will face familiar competition in pursuit of Berardi, with AS Roma also showing keen interest in him.
The Giallorossi are laden with options for either flank, although their pursuit of Malcom suggests that they were eager to add one more to Eusebio Di Francesco’s ranks. Berardi thus, seems to be a viable target for AS Roma, who are desperate to stave off competition from Barcelona this time around.
Barcelona though, believe that they hold the aces in the race to sign Berardi, owing to their fantastic relationship with Sassuolo, who signed Marlon Santos from the La Liga champions this past summer.
But, it hasn’t been suggested when the two clubs will launch the offensive for the Italian international, although a price tag of around €30 million has been suggested. The figure should pose little problem to either Barcelona or AS Roma, and an exciting head-to-head battle seems to be brewing.
A summer move could be on the cards for the 24-year-old, and a solid 2018-19 campaign could ensure the interest from Barcelona and AS Roma becomes concrete. Monchi though, is eager to get one up on the Catalans, following the disappointment in pursuit of Malcom, whenever the move for the Italian international is made.
