Barcelona will reportedly have the chance to sign Romain Saiss in a Bosman move, with the 32-year-old Moroccan defender becoming a free agent next month.
According to a report by Spanish publication Mundo Deportivo, Romain Saiss could emerge as a candidate for Barcelona to reinforce their central defensive unit in the summer transfer window. The 32-year-old defender will become a free agent next month after leaving Premier League outfit Wolverhampton Wanderers.
Romain Saiss spent most of his professional career in France, representing Olympique de Valence, Clermont Foot 63, Le Havre and Angers SCO before moving to England in August 2016. The Moroccan international joined Wolverhampton Wanderers, then an EFL Championship side, before playing an instrumental role in their promotion to the Premier League.
The 32-year-old has remained a pivotal figure for Wolves in the Premier League, and he has helped in establishing them as a mainstay in the top flight. But Saiss will leave the Midlands outfit as a free agent in the summer transfer window after making over 200 appearances for them. And the player’s next destination could be Barcelona.
Saiss’s representatives have offered him to Barcelona, who will enter the market for a centre-back in the summer transfer window, even though Andreas Christensen is on the verge of joining the Blaugrana in a Bosman move. Barcelona’s eagerness to sign another central defender stems from the uncertainties surrounding the futures of Samuel Umtiti, Clement Lenglet and Oscar Mingueza.
The Catalan giants have deemed the trio surplus to requirements. And their departures will leave Xavi Hernandez short of options in the central defensive unit, especially with Gerard Pique in the twilight of his storied career. As a result, several centre-backs have popped up on Barcelona’s radar, with Jules Kounde emerging as the ideal target.
But Kounde will cost a bomb, and Barcelona might not be able to afford the young Frenchman amid their ongoing financial crisis. Saiss is thus a viable alternative for Barcelona, with the 32-year-old being a solid short-term option to replace Umtiti and Lenglet.
With Christensen, Araujo and Eric Garcia being the long-term regular central defensive options for Xavi, Saiss will be a solid backup to the trio. So it will be interesting to see if Barcelona will grab the opportunity to sign the 32-year-old defender in a Bosman move this summer.
