Barcelona are reportedly considering a move for 21-year-old French midfield sensation Maxence Caqueret, identified as their new Andres Iniesta.
According to a report by Spanish outlet Fichajes, Barcelona’s search for a new midfielder has taken them to France, with Lyon midfielder Maxence Caqueret emerging on their radar. The 21-year-old is, in fact, being viewed as a potential long-term successor for Andres Iniesta.
Maxence Caqueret has been with Lyon for nearly a decade now, having joined the French club from FC Chaponnay Marennes before subsequently progressing through the ranks. The 21-year-old then made his first-team bow two years ago, aged just 18, and he has not looked back since.
Now a regular feature for Les Gones, Caqueret has made 58 appearances for Lyon while chipping in with a goal and four assists along the way. His progress has not gone unnoticed either, with one of the biggest clubs in Europe now setting their sights on him. The club in question are Barcelona.
Barcelona are reportedly set to enter the transfer market for a central midfield reinforcement after a bizarre summer transfer window that saw them offload a couple of midfielders without really getting in a replacement.
So, even though Sergi Roberto is set to feature more prominently as part of the midfield unit, the responsibility on Sergio Busquets, Frenkie de Jong and Pedri is bound to mount a whole lot more. That is why it is hardly surprising that Barcelona are keen on bolstering their midfield unit, and as a result, they have been linked with Conor Gallagher, Paul Pogba and Dani Olmo, among others.
Now, though, the Blaugrana have set their sights on Caqueret, who is, in fact, being viewed as the true successor to Andres Iniesta. However, Barcelona are still making their mind up about the timeline of their offer for the 21-year-old, whose contract with Lyon will run out in less than two years’ time.
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Barcelona could either make their move sometime ahead of the 2022/23 season to steal a march on other prospective suitors or wait till the summer of 2023 to potentially sign him on a free transfer, which will be a risky move. For now, Caqueret has popped up on Barcelona’s radar as a potential Iniesta successor, and it remains to be seen if he makes his way to Camp Nou in the future.
