Barcelona are reportedly considering a summer move for Juventus midfielder Rodrigo Bentancur, who has been suggested by Luis Suarez.
According to a report by Spanish outlet Don Balon, Luis Suarez has suggested Uruguay teammate Rodrigo Bentancur as a possible midfield reinforcement for the summer transfer window. The Catalans are in the market for a midfielder, with Frenkie De Jong and others being targeted as well.
Bentancur is one of the jewels of Uruguayan football, having enjoyed a promising campaign at Juventus last season while also breaking into the national side in 2017. Since then, the youngster has become a regular for La Celeste, and has been one of the most important players for the side at the 2018 FIFA World Cup.
His advent hasn’t gone unnoticed, with Uruguay teammate Luis Suarez taking note of Bentancur’s capabilities. With Barcelona reportedly in the market for a midfielder, the star striker has suggested his compatriot’s name to the club.
Thus far, Barcelona have been linked with several midfielders, with Frenkie De Jong believed to be a priority target. Indeed, the departure of Andres Iniesta has left a sort of a creative void at Camp Nou, which the impending arrival of Arthur is unlikely to fill.
Apart from Arthur, Barcelona manager Ernesto Valverde has the likes of Paulinho, Sergio Busquets, Ivan Rakitic, Denis Suarez and Andre Gomes at his disposal to fill the various midfield positions, with Philippe Coutinho also likely to be an option.
While these do seem to be options aplenty, Denis Suarez and Gomes face an uncertain future at Barcelona after failing to impress Valverde last season. Additionally, Rakitic and Paulinho are also being linked with moves away from Camp Nou, and should a transfer happen, the need for midfield reinforcements will be urgent.
De Jong has thus, been the kind of midfielder who could fit in well at Barcelona, who could also develop the player as per their needs. But, star striker Luis Suarez has now put another name on the table who could be a viable alternative to De Jong – Uruguay teammate Bentancur.
Boasting a similar profile as the Dutch midfielder, Bentancur too, is in the early stages of his career and could prove to be a shrewd buy, especially with the lack of regular game time at Juventus making the move to Barcelona a potentially appealing one.
His talents have been on full display for Barcelona at the World Cup, with the Uruguayan international one of the key players for Oscar Tabarez in Russia. It is now up to Valverde and the club board to take a call on whether Bentancur fits the bill for them, or if De Jong is the way to go.
They could decide to move for both, if all or more of the quadrant of Rakitic, Paulinho, Denis Suarez and Gomes end up leaving Barcelona.
Persuading Juventus might be a tough ask though, as they see Bentancur as one of their future stars. But, if the player insists on a move, we could see the 21-year-old be on his way to Barcelona this summer.
