Barcelona will reportedly need to fend off competition from Tottenham to sign 28-year-old French playmaker Nabil Fekir from La Liga rivals Real Betis.
According to a report by Spanish publication MARCA, Tottenham, AC Milan, and Juventus have joined Barcelona in the race to sign Nabil Fekir in the summer transfer window. But the 28-year-old playmaker will only leave Real Betis to join fellow La Liga outfit Barcelona, ruling the new suitors out of the race.
Nabil Fekir has come leaps and bounds since joining Real Betis from Lyon in July 2019. While the French international initially had his struggles at the Andalusian club, he has established himself as a pivotal figure for the Verdiblancos in the ongoing campaign, playing a key role in their bid for a top-four finish.
The 28-year-old playmaker has nine goals and seven assists in 31 outings across all competitions in the ongoing campaign. But Fekir’s exploits have attracted several high profile clubs across Europe, with Tottenham among the outfits joining Barcelona in the race to sign him in the summer transfer window.
The interest from Barcelona could be stemming from the uncertainties surrounding Ousmane Dembele. The 2018 FIFA World Cup winner is unlikely to sign a new contract with Barcelona and will depart Camp Nou as a free agent as things stand.
Dembele’s exit will open up a spot in Barcelona’s attacking department, with Fekir emerging as a viable target. The 28-year-old’s ability to play in a midfield trifecta also makes him an attractive option for Barcelona. But the Blaugrana will have to fend off stiff competition from Tottenham to land Fekir.
Spurs bolstered their attack by signing Dejan Kulusevski in the January transfer window. But Steven Bergwijn faces an uncertain future at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium amid interest from AC Milan, and Fekir could be an upgrade on the Dutchman.
Coincidentally, Fekir is also a target for AC Milan and Juventus, although he will only leave Real Betis to join Barcelona. But Real Betis president Angel Haro recently insisted that the La Liga outfit is not worrying about the speculation surrounding the 28-year-old playmaker while pointing towards his €100 million release clause. So a summer exit might not be on the horizon for Fekir.
LOL, Nabil Fekir is a huge upgrade on Bergwijn and he’s staying in th best league in the world, and it’s a downgrade if he goes to Spurs.