Barcelona will reportedly need to fend off stiff competition from Serie A giants Juventus in pursuit of 23-year-old Portuguese goalkeeper Luis Maximiano.
According to a report by Spanish outlet Fichajes, Barcelona and Juventus could be embroiled in a transfer tussle to sign Luis Maximiano in the summer transfer window. The Catalan giants view the 23-year-old Granada goalkeeper as a possible long-term successor for Marc-Andre ter Stegen.
Luis Maximiano joined Granada from Sporting Lisbon last summer and has since established himself as one of the best goalkeepers in La Liga. The Portuguese custodian took no time to become the first-choice shot-stopper for the Andalusian club.
The 23-year-old has made 21 appearances in La Liga for Granada this season, keeping four clean sheets in the process. The player’s progress has not gone unnoticed, with some of the biggest clubs in Europe setting their sights on him. And two of Maximiano’s prospective suitors are Barcelona and Juventus.
The interest from Barcelona stems from the inconsistent performances of Marc-Andre ter Stegen. The German goalkeeper has blown hot and cold in the past year, with his performance level dipping considerably. As a result, the Catalan giants have been forced to consider possible options to replace him in the long-term future.
Recent reports have linked Barcelona with several goalkeepers, including Illan Meslier, although the Leeds United goalkeeper is a possible option to be the backup to the first-choice custodian. As for the pursuit of Maximiano, Barcelona will have to fend off stiff competition from Juventus in the race to sign the 23-year-old.
The Serie A giants could have to enter the market for a goalkeeper in the summer transfer window as Wojciech Szczesny has been extremely inconsistent in the past year. Several shot-stoppers have thus been linked with Juventus lately, with Maximiano a viable target for the Italian club.
Considering Maximiano only joined them last summer, Granada will likely battle hard to retain the services of the 23-year-old. In the end, the Portuguese goalkeeper’s future could depend largely on whether he is open to staying put at Los Carmenes, and it will be interesting to see if Barcelona or Juventus can manage to prise him away from the Andalusian club.
