Barcelona and Manchester City are reportedly among a number of clubs keeping their eyes on Atalanta’s German international defender Robin Gosens.
According to a report from Italian publication Calciomercato, Barcelona and Manchester City are among the clubs interested in securing the signing of Atalanta left-back Robin Gosens.
The 27-year-old defender has been with Atalanta for four years now, having joined from Dutch outfit Heracles Almelo and has established himself as one of the best attacking wing-backs in Europe in recent years. To date, Gosens has racked up 155 appearances for La Dea, scoring 29 goals and setting up 21 more for his teammates.
On the back of his exploits, Gosens has also managed to establish a foothold in the German national team, going on to make 13 appearances since his debut in September last year, scoring two goals as well.
Gosens’ rise to prominence hasn’t gone unnoticed as several top clubs across Europe, including Barcelona during the summer transfer window. A move, however, failed to materialise. But, it seems like Barcelona’s interest in the German international has not faded as the Catalans are still eyeing a swoop for him, as are Premier League champions Manchester City.
Barcelona’s need for a new left-back needs no explanation. Having allowed Junior Firpo to leave for Leeds United in the summer, the Catalans have been left with Jordi Alba as the only senior option in the position. At 32, the Spaniard is no longer a spring chicken and needs to have an ideal backup for manager Ronald Koeman to rotate, while his recent injury has only made that problem stand out further.
Academy prospect Alejandro Balde has been brought into the first-team fold for that purpose, but at 17, he lacks the experience at the highest level. What’s more, the teenager also picked up an injury on his first La Liga start, leaving Barcelona further exposed. So, securing a long-term replacement for Alba, while grooming Balde makes sense for the Blaugrana, and Gosens would be a viable target.
As for Manchester City, they too have an urgent need of a new left-back. Benjamin Mendy has been suspended by the club in light of the criminal charges against him. And while Joao Cancelo and Oleksandr Zinchenko are available at Pep Guardiola’s disposal, neither is a natural left-back and that becomes apparent in some of their appearances, at times, putting the Cityzens at a disadvantage.
Thus, securing the signing of an attack-minded full-back like Gosens would be a sensible move on the part of the Premier League champions. Apart from Barcelona and Manchester City, the likes of Juventus, Inter Milan and Leicester City are also keeping tabs on the 27-year-old.
Atalanta, for their part, have triggered a contract extension option in his deal, tying him down to the club till 2024. Furthermore, they are also in talks to increase his wages, indicating that he is a key part of their plans. However, an offer in excess of €30 million could tempt them into considering their position. It remains to be seen if either Barcelona or Manchester City are willing to test the waters with an approach.
