The Hard Tackle lists five players Barcelona should closely monitor at the upcoming month-long Copa America 2024.
UEFA Euro 2024 has already had a sensational start and in a couple of days, the Copa America 2024 will get underway where we will witness the best players from South and North America in action. Multiple top clubs from across Europe, including Barcelona, will send their scouts to watch potential targets in action.
Barcelona will be one of the clubs that will keep a close eye on quite a few players during the continental tournament. The Catalan giants did not really have the best of seasons last time out, and they are looking to bounce back under their new manager Hansi Flick.
While they already have a shortlist of players that they are monitoring as they look to reinforce their squad, The Hard Tackle have identified five players that the Catalan giants should keep a close eye on during the CONMEBOL Copa America.
Luis Diaz
Diaz is one of the players who has been linked with a move to Barcelona of late. The Catalan giants want to further reinforce their flanks ahead of next season. They see the 27-year-old Liverpool winger as a top target and will be keeping a close eye on him during the Copa America.
While reports have suggested that the Reds are ready to cash in on the Colombian international, the player is quite happy at Anfield. However, things could change if Barcelona enter the race, the opportunity to play for one of the biggest clubs in the world might be too good to turn down.
The Blaugrana are not in the best of financial situation, and they seem ready to cash in on Raphinha. With the Brazilian expected to be on the move, Diaz could be an ideal replacement. Lamine Yamal’s impressive rise suggests that the right flank is sorted for years to come, and they need a quality forward to take charge on the left, which means scouting Diaz at Copa America surely makes a lot of sense.
Santiago Giménez
Gimenez has been on fire since joining Feyenoord in the summer of 2022. He has scored 54 goals in the last two seasons for the Dutch club. The 23-year-old’s impressive rise has not gone unnoticed as there is interest in him from Liverpool and Tottenham.
While a move to the Premier League looks like the most likely outcome, Barcelona could have a look at him during the Copa America where he will be leading the line for Mexico. With Vitor Roque’s future at the club uncertain, Gimenez could come in as an ideal replacement.
He could support Lewandowski up top and eventually replace the Polish international as the leader of their attack. His performances under pressure in the continental tournament will give them a fair idea of whether he could handle the pressure of wearing the Barcelona shirt.
Yan Couto
Manchester City right-back Yan Couto has already impressed one and all with his consistent performances while on loan at Girona. He contributed towards 11 goals in his 34 outings and has already been linked with the likes of Arsenal, Barcelona, Manchester United and Real Madrid.
On the back of his performances, he has been called up to the Brazilian team for Copa America, and all the interested clubs will be closely monitoring him during the tournament. While his contract with Manchester City runs out in 12 months, Pep Guardiola’s team are still looking for €40 million to sanction his departure.
No doubt the asking price could prove to be a bit difficult for Barcelona with the club struggling financially. But, they do need reinforcement in the full-back department. With Marcos Alonso leaving and Sergi Roberto’s future uncertain, they only have Hector Fort and Alejandro Balde for the full-back roles.
The Spanish club are currently working on a deal to ensure Joao Cancelo continues at the club as he can prove to be an important part of their first team thanks to his versatility. Irrespective of Cancelo’s future, they could still look to bring in Couto as he will bolster the right flank and give Flick the option to start Cancelo on the left.
Edson Alvarez
The Mexican international made the move to West Ham last summer after proving himself at Ajax. In his debut season in the English top flight, the defensive midfielder was involved in 42 games and he even contributed towards four goals.
Alvarez was one of their best performers and it did not take him long to adjust to life in England. While there is not much interest in him at this point in time, clubs will be keeping a close eye on him during the Copa America. Barcelona could look at Alvarez as a potential option to bolster their midfield.
The Spanish giants felt the absence of Sergio Busquets last season. Oriol Romeu, who was brought in to help cope with his absence, has not done enough. Barcelona now need a top-quality defensive midfielder who can help them gain more control in midfield, and Alvarez could prove to be an ideal option. However, it will depend on how he performs for Mexico in the continental tournament.
Yunus Musah
A new defensive midfielder is a top priority for Barcelona. But they also need to add more depth to their midfield in general. While the Blaugrana already have a lot of quality in the centre of the park, they have struggled because of multiple injuries to key midfielders.
Hansi Flick will look to ensure they have enough depth needed to challenge for all major titles, and they could have a look at Yunus Musah during the Copa America. The 21-year-old American midfielder has had an exceptional debut season at AC Milan, and he will only get better with time.
While the youngster will be on the radar of scouts from some of the best teams across Europe, he could be a great option for Barcelona as he is already accustomed to Spanish football having come up the ranks at Valencia. With Pedri, Gavi and Frenkie de Jong picking up multiple injuries last season, Musah could be an ideal signing for them.
