Barcelona will look to sign 26-year-old Italian international Andrea Cambiaso from Serie A club Juventus in a deal worth €20-25 million in the January transfer window.
According to a report by Swiss outlet 4-4-2, Liverpool and Manchester United are also interested, with a plethora of other bigwigs chasing his signature as well. However, Barcelona have seemingly leapfrogged the competition, and they are also considering a swap deal involving Alejandro Balde to sign the Juventus full-back.
Andrea Cambiaso and his Juventus journey so far
Andrea Cambiaso has made significant progress since establishing a foothold in the first-team squad at Juventus, having joined the Bianconeri from Genoa in July 2022. The 26-year-old had to bide his time before landing on his feet at the Turin-based club. However, he has not looked back since returning from a career-changing loan spell with Bologna in the 2022/23 season.
Cambiaso has been a mainstay at the back for Juventus in the last few seasons, making nearly 150 appearances thus far while chipping in with eight goals and 18 assists. However, an untimely ankle injury has restricted the Italian international to only 380 minutes of game time in eight outings. Nevertheless, he retains popularity in the market, with several high-profile clubs vying for his signature.
Premier League move on the horizon?
Liverpool will pursue a left-back next year, as Kostas Tsimikas is not a reliable alternative to Milos Kerkez. So, with Kerkez yet to establish himself as an undisputed first-choice starter for Liverpool, signing a full-back like Cambiaso will be a step in the right direction. The Juventus defender is a defensive-minded left-back who will provide better cover during the defensive phases.
Meanwhile, Andrea Cambiaso has been on Barcelona’s wishlist for a long time. The continued interest makes tactical and logical sense, as Alejandro Balde faces an uncertain future at Camp Nou after falling behind Joao Cancelo and Xavi Espart in the pecking order for left-backs. With neither Cancelo nor Espart a specialist left-back, signing Cambiaso will be a step in the right direction.
As for Manchester United, Luke Shaw is the only specialist left-back in Michael Carrick’s squad. With the veteran defender struggling with fitness issues this season, Carrick has often fielded makeshift options at left-back, with Diogo Dalot and Noussair Mazraoui struggling for consistency in that role. So, signing a left-back is urgent, and Cambiaso is a long-term target.
Interestingly, reports a few months ago suggested Cambiaso was keen on joining Barcelona. With the reigning La Liga champions preparing a bid worth €20-25 million to sign the Italian international, a move is now contingent on Juventus’s asking price and whether the Serie A club would accept that sum.
