Barcelona sporting director Ramon Planes was in Gelsenkirchen to scout Suat Serdar, during Bundesliga outfit Schalke’s Champions League game against Porto.
According to Sport, FC Barcelona’s sporting director Ramon Planes was in Gelsenkirchen in midweek to monitor the progress Schalke starlet Suat Serdar. The young midfielder made quite an impact in Bundesliga last season with FSV Mainz and has now lured the interest of the Catalan giants.
It is believed that Barcelona dispersed the members of their signing committee across Europe in order to monitor some of their reported targets during the opening matchday of the UEFA Champions League. While they did track the progress of some talented individuals such as Adrien Rabiot, Frenkie de Jong and Paul Pogba, it’s Suat Serdar who raised the eyebrow of sporting director Ramon Planes.
The report suggests that while Planes also had his eyes on other Schalke midfielders including Nabil Bentaleb and Amine Harit, Serdar’s impressive skill set has surely impressed the former Getafe director. As a result, the player seems to have joined the list of midfielders being pursued by Barcelona.
As mentioned earlier, Serdar has already made an impact in Bundesliga, thanks to his impressive performances for FSV Mainz. He initially made his breakthrough for their senior team back in 2015-16, making his debut as a last-minute substitute against Hoffenheim.
But, it took him over two years to establish himself as a regular for the Zero Fivers, playing a key role in their successful battle to avoid relegation from Bundesliga. Serdar appeared in 25 league matches, scoring two goals whilst providing 19 key passes.
His exploits attracted the interest of several clubs this past summer, with Schalke winning the race to sign Serdar by snapping him up in a €10.5 million deal. Generally advertised as a number eight because of his technical qualities, Serdar is a well-rounded midfielder who can also feature as a number six.
His flexibility in midfield is what attracted the interest of Schalke coach Domenico Tedesco, who holds high esteem for utility players, as well as Barcelona in recent weeks. While he may not be a direct replacement for Leon Goretzka for the Royal Blues, Tedesco will be delighted to have someone like Serdar at his disposal this season.
The German youth international has decent experience in Bundesliga for someone of his age and could provide Schalke with some much-needed back-up in the centre of the pitch. As for Barcelona, it’s way too early to draw a conclusion regarding Suat Serdar’s credibility of performing at the highest level of football.
However, the Catalans should definitely continue to monitor the progress of the 21-year-old, especially considering Schalke’s ability to nurture young talents. Who knows, Serdar might just emerge as a viable alternative to the likes of Rabiot and Pogba in the months to come, for Barcelona.
