La Liga heavyweights Barcelona are reportedly considering 29-year-old Argentine international Nicolas Tagliafico as an alternative to Marcos Alonso.
According to Lyall Thomas, Nicolas Tagliafico has again emerged on the radar of Barcelona over a possible move in the summer transfer window. The Catalan giants view the 29-year-old as a potential alternative to Marcos Alonso, with Ajax likely to demand around €5 million to part ways with him.
Nicolas Tagliafico joined Ajax from Independiente in January 2018 and has made significant progress in his career since then. The Argentine international has been a mainstay at the back for club and country for the most part in the last four and a half years, but his stock has fallen a fair bit in this past season.
The 29-year-old has turned out 167 times for Ajax thus far, chipping in with 16 goals and 22 assists. But Tagliafico’s time at the Dutch club seems to have run its course, as he is keen on embarking on a new challenge by joining a club where he can feature prominently. And Barcelona could offer him a route out of Ajax.
Barcelona attempted to sign Tagliafico in the January transfer window, but a move failed to materialise. The Catalan giants have continued closely monitoring the Argentine international’s situation at Ajax. And they are weighing up the prospect of belatedly launching the offensive to sign him this summer.
Barcelona will have to bolster the left-back slot in the summer transfer window, as Jordi Alba has been showing the effects of his advancing years. And with Alejandro Balde yet to establish a foothold in the first-team setup at Camp Nou, the Blaugrana will need to delve into the market for a left-back, with Alonso their priority target.
The Chelsea full-back is eager to move to Barcelona, and personal terms will not be an issue for either party. But Barcelona cannot put all their eggs in the Alonso basket, which is why they are considering Tagliafico as an alternative to the Spanish international.
The 29-year-old Argentine international will not cost a bomb either, with Ajax demanding around €5 million to part ways with him. But several other clubs, including Lyon and Atletico Madrid, are keen on signing Tagliafico, with the former tailing the Ajax defender after losing Tyrell Malacia to Manchester United.
