Dani Olmo reportedly favours a move to former club Barcelona instead of Real Madrid, with the two La Liga giants locking horns for his services
According to a report by Catalan outlet El Nacional, Barcelona have been handed a major boost in their pursuit of Dani Olmo. The 23-year-old RB Leipzig attacker, who is also the subject of interest from bitter rivals Real Madrid, prefers a switch to Camp Nou instead of the Santiago Bernabeu.
Dani Olmo is widely regarded as one of the best young attackers in world football at the moment, having progressed considerably since leaving Barcelona as a 16-year-old to join Dinamo Zagreb. The Spaniard did indeed come leaps and bounds in the Croatian capital before joining RB Leipzig in 2020.
Over the past couple of years or so, the 23-year-old has continued on his upward trajectory, with 12 goals and 14 assists in 64 appearances to show for his efforts. And his exploits have invariably piqued the interest of some of the biggest clubs in Europe, with Real Madrid and Barcelona both hot on his trails.
Barcelona, in fact, attempted to snap Olmo up late in the summer transfer window before they ran out of time to secure his services. However, the failure to secure a deadline day move for the Spanish international has not deterred them in his pursuit, with the Blaugrana now reportedly prioritising a move for him.
The keenness to sign Olmo is understandable, seeing as they can do with a reinforcement in attack as well as midfield, making the versatile 23-year-old a viable target. The interest from Real Madrid, on the other hand, makes sense as well, and for reasons similar to Barcelona.
With Luka Modric and Toni Kroos well into their thirties, Los Blancos need a succession plan for the duo, which is where Olmo could fit in. Alternatively, with both Eden Hazard and Gareth Bale on the wrong side of 30, and Marco Asensio facing an uncertain future at the Bernabeu, Real Madrid would be well served by adding a wide attacker as well.
So Olmo is an option worth considering for the Merengues, although they now appear set to lose out to Barcelona in the race to sign the 23-year-old. As per El Nacional, the Spanish international favours a return to Camp Nou over a move to Real Madrid, or even Manchester United, for that matter. With that in mind, it remains to be seen if Real Madrid are indeed beaten by Barcelona in his chase.
