Barcelona are reportedly weighing up a possible move for Unai Nunez, having made informal contacts with the Athletic Bilbao defender.
According to a report by Spanish publication Sport, Unai Nunez is the subject of interest from Barcelona. The Blaugrana have initiated informal talks with the Athletic Bilbao defender’s representatives, and are considering a future move for him.
Unai Nunez joined the Athletic Bilbao academy as a 10-year-old, gradually progressing through the ranks before finally breaking into the first-team setup this season. The player has been so impressive in his debut campaign at San Mames that he has already cemented his place in the starting lineup.
Playing alongside another highly rated defender, Aymeric Laporte, at the heart of the Bilbao defence, Nunez has featured in each of the Basque club’s eight La Liga games thus far. Even though Jose Angel Ziganda’s side have started the new campaign slowly, Nunez has impressed with his solid performances.
Unai Nunez(Athletic Bilbao) is being closely followed by Barcelona for possible signing (sport) pic.twitter.com/vOV6q7umQ1
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Additionally, his ability to read the game and build up plays out of defence is a quality that is sure to have attracted a club that is known to its possession-based style of football. Barcelona have been keeping tabs on Nunez for several months, with their scouts following his progress for a long time.
But, his advent in La Liga this season has further caught their eye, and the Blaugrana have gone on to establish contacts with the player’s entourage, who are delighted with the interest coming from one of the biggest clubs in the world.
The report suggests that Barcelona are eyeing Nunez as a part of their long-term solution at the heart of defence. Yerry Mina set to arrive at Camp Nou next summer, and Marlon Santos in the mix as well, with Samuel Umtiti already going strong.
Thus, the potential arrival of the 20-year-old in the future will stand the Catalan club in good stead at the back long after the likes of Gerard Pique (30) and Javier Mascherano (33) have called it a day at Camp Nou.
However, Barcelona are not going to make a move for Nunez in the near future as they want him to continue his development at San Mames instead of sharing game time at Camp Nou. But, the youngster’s career is scaling new heights with each passing week, and a future move to Barcelona is on the cards.