The Spanish giants are said to be monitoring the Italian duo, with a view of tabling a bid in the January window.
Barcelona are on a desperate hunt to secure a right-back in January to complement Sergi Roberto, with manager Luis Enrique said to have no confidence in Aleix Vidal.
As such, the Catalan giants have been linked with host of prominent right-backs such as Branislav Ivanovic, Joao Cancelo and Hector Bellerin among others, with the latter signing a new contract with Arsenal to end any possibilities of a return to his former club.
And now, Barcelona based newspaper Mundo Deportivo (h/t Calciomercato) has claimed the Blaugranas have shifted their focus to Italy, with AC Milan’s defensive duo of Ignazio Abate and Mattia De Sciglio as the prime targets.
The report suggests Barcelona’s technical director Robert Fernandez was in attendance at San Siro to witness the duo in action in the recent Derby della Madonnina, between AC Milan and Inter Milan. Robert Fernandez was accompanied by other top management members – Urbano and Lluis on Sunday.
Barcelona were linked with Mattia De Sciglio in the summer, with the club reported to be on the look out for a replacement for the departing Dani Alves.
The 24-year-old Italian is not only an accomplished right-back, but is also equally adept at playing on the other side of defense as a left-back. His contract situation also gives an edge to Barcelona, with less than 18 months left on his current deal with Milan.
Ignazio Abate is well-known for his rapid pace and stamina, making him a good fit for the demanding role of right-back at Barcelona. The experienced Abate is also versatile enough to play further forward, if the situation demands.
Right-back is one of the few departments that manager Luis Enrique needs to work upon, and as such, the club are expected to be busy in the upcoming winter transfer window. But it remains to be seen whether a move for either or both the Milan duo does materialize in January.
