Barcelona are weighing up the possibility of signing 30-year-old Italian international Lorenzo Insigne on a free transfer next summer.
According to a report by Spanish outlet SPORT, Barcelona are keeping tabs on the situation of Lorenzo Insigne. The 30-year-old Italian international is at loggerheads with Napoli over a new contract and could depart the Diego Armando Maradona Stadium as a free agent.
Lorenzo Insigne has been a pivotal player for Napoli for the better part of the past decade, and has been the club captain since the departure of Marek Hamsik. The past year or so has been quite productive for him at club and international level, having often been the sole torch bearer for the Partenopei before playing a key role in Italy’s UEFA Euro 2020 triumph.
The 30-year-old seems to be in decent touch in 2021/22 so far, with one goal and three assists to show for his efforts in six appearances, playing a critical role in Napoli’s ascent to the Serie A summit early this season. However, the Italian giants are in a precarious position over the future of Insigne, who has entered the final year of his contract at the club. This has alerted Barcelona.
The interest from Barcelona makes a world of sense, despite the arrival of Memphis Depay, Sergio Aguero and Luuk de Jong to bolster their attacking unit. However, in the wake of the departures of Lionel Messi and Antoine Griezmann, it has hardly been a reinforcement.
Indeed, Depay is the only player who looks like making an impact in the final third, with de Jong hardly being prolific in his career. Meanwhile, Aguero is still waiting to make his Barcelona debut as he recovers from an injury. So, it is not too surprising that the Blaugrana wish to bolster their attack at the earliest possible opportunity.
As a result, the Catalan giants have been linked with Fabio Vieira, Ferran Torres and Alexandre Lacazette, among others, with Insigne a viable target as well. In fact, the 30-year-old Italian international really ought to be Barcelona’s priority target considering he could be signed on a Bosman move next summer.
Still at the peak of his powers, Insigne would bring a lot of value to the Barcelona attack, becoming a major upgrade on de Jong and Martin Braithwaite. Having said that, it will be interesting to see if Napoli can manage to secure the long-term future of their captain or if he ends up seeking a fresh adventure next summer.