Barcelona outcast Riqui Puig on Girona’s radar

Out-of-favour Barcelona midfielder Riqui Puig has reportedly emerged as a transfer target for newly-promoted La Liga club Girona this summer.

According to SPORT, Barcelona midfielder Riqui Puig has a new admirer in Girona FC as he looks to sort out his future heading into the summer transfer window.

Puig is a product of Barcelona’s famed La Masia youth setup. The 22-year-old was widely regarded as one of the best prospects to have come through the ranks at the club when he made his senior debut in 2018 under then-manager Ernesto Valverde. However, the midfielder has failed to kick on and translate his potential into success at the first-team level for Barcelona.

Indeed, Puig failed to convince Valverde to give him regular game-time. While the situation seemed to have improved slightly under Quique Setien, the Spaniard did not make the most of his chances and was back on the fringes when Ronald Koeman took over. Upon Xavi Hernandez’s appointment, there was hope that things could take a turn for the better for Puig, but that has not been the case.

Puig struggled for game-time in the 2021/22 campaign, with younger players like Pedri and Gavi jumping ahead of him in the pecking order. And with Barcelona set to sign Franck Kessie on a free transfer, the 22-year-old La Masia product is set to fall further out of relevance at Camp Nou.

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Manager Xavi has reportedly informed Puig that he does not belong in his plans anymore. And having been reluctant to leave the club in the past, the 22-year-old has accepted his fate and is looking at possible options as a summer exit looms large. 

Celta Vigo have shown a strong interest in signing Puig, while fellow La Liga side Valencia are also keen. Now, newly-promoted club Girona FC have also entered the fray to capture the services of the 22-year-old midfielder in the summer transfer window.

Girona have returned to La Liga after three years in the second division via a playoff victory. And the club are keen on strengthening their roster in hopes of avoiding a relegation battle. Puig, to that end, has emerged as a possible target for Barcelona’s derby rivals. Only time will tell whether the midfielder sees the move to the La Liga newbies as desirable.

Puig is not the only Barcelona player linked with Girona. The club’s chairman of the board of directors, Pere Guardiola, hinted at a move for injury-prone defender Samuel Umtiti. So, it will certainly be interesting to see if the Catalan club can snare away either of the two players from Barcelona this summer.