Barcelona face Sevilla, Valencia competition for Adnan Januzaj

Barcelona will reportedly have to stave off competition from Sevilla and Valencia if they wish to sign Adnan Januzaj on a free transfer in the summer.

According to Fichajes, Barcelona are interested in making a swoop for Real Sociedad winger Adnan Januzaj when his contract expires at the end of next month. However, they will face competition from La Liga rivals Sevilla and Valencia in pursuit of the Belgian winger.

Januzaj came through the youth ranks at Manchester United and made quite the splash about ten years ago under then-manager David Moyes at Old Trafford. However, after an exciting debut season, things failed to take off for the winger in Manchester. Following a couple of disappointing loan spells at Borussia Dortmund and Sunderland, he joined Real Sociedad permanently in 2017.

While Januzaj’s time at Sociedad has not exactly been a roaring success, the 27-year-old has been able to get his career back on track to a large extent and has been a reliable performer for La Real. He has made 168 appearances for the Basque outfit, scoring 23 goals and setting up 21 more for his teammates.

But Januzaj’s contract with Real Sociedad expires next month and the club have confirmed that he will not be signing an extension. With the Belgian international set to become available on a free transfer, the race for his signing is heating up. Barcelona have emerged as a surprise contender to sign Januzaj but face competition from Sevilla and Valencia.

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Barcelona are in the market for reinforcements to their frontline. With Ousmane Dembele’s contract running out in over a month and an agreement nowhere in sight, the Frenchman looks set to depart as a free agent. At the same time, the Blaugrana are unlikely to sign Adama Traore permanently either, with the 26-year-old set to return to Wolves once his loan deal expires.

It would leave the Catalan heavyweights light on numbers in the wide-attacking areas. A move for Leeds United superstar Raphinha has been mooted heavily, but there could be room for another addition on the flanks should both Dembele and Traore move on. Januzaj, to that end, can be a viable target due to his experience in La Liga and his availability on a free transfer.

However, Barcelona will have to battle Sevilla and Valencia for his signing. Los Nervionenses manager Julen Lopetegui is keen on adding more quality to his attacking unit and sees Januzaj as an appealing target due to his free agency status. With Jules Kounde likely to depart, Sevilla will have enough margin on their wage bill to afford the Belgian’s salary.

Valencia, meanwhile, could be staring at the possibility of losing Goncalo Guedes, whose contract expires next year. So, there would be room for someone like Januzaj to arrive, although, given their financial turmoil, wages could prove to be an issue. So, it will be interesting to see where the former Manchester United starlet ends up come summer, although, at this moment, he is not a priority target for Barcelona.