Barcelona are reportedly considering a Bosman move for 32-year-old Belgian international Axel Witsel, who could leave Borussia Dortmund as a free agent.
According to reputed journalist Gerard Romero on his Twitch channel, as relayed by Spanish outlet Fichajes, Axel Witsel is the subject of interest from Barcelona over a Bosman move in next summer’s transfer window. The Belgian international could leave Borussia Dortmund as a free agent in June.
Axel Witsel joined Borussia Dortmund from Tianjin Quanjian in August 2018 and has since been a reliable presence in the middle of the park for the Bundesliga giants. Widely regarded as one of the best holding midfielders in the game, the Belgian international is a key figure for club and country.
To date, the 32-year-old has made 127 appearances for Dortmund, chipping in with 11 goals and six assists in the process. However, the German heavyweights are in a precarious situation over Witsel’s long-term future, as he is in the final year of his contract with the club. Such a situation has alerted several clubs, including Barcelona.
The interest from Barcelona is understandable, considering Sergio Busquets is facing an uncertain future at the club ahead of the impending squad overhaul next summer. With the veteran Spanish international also enduring a dip in performance levels and heavily linked with Manchester City, it behoves the Blaugrana to bring in a successor.
Barcelona might need to bolster their midfield unit due to the question marks surrounding the futures of Frenkie de Jong, Riqui Puig and Gavi. To that end, Witsel is a viable target, even though he will only be a short-term solution at Camp Nou.
According to Gerard Romero, the Catalan giants have three Bundesliga-based midfielders in their sights. And apart from Witself, Denis Zakaria and Corentin Tolisso are also on Barcelona’s radar. As for Witsel, with the 32-year-old not interested in renewing terms with Dortmund, he is quite an appealing target for Barcelona.
However, in addition to Barcelona, Juventus and Newcastle United are also keen on signing Witsel, meaning they will need to move quickly to secure his services. It remains to be seen if the Belgian international moves to Camp Nou on a Bosman move next summer or if the La Liga heavyweights turn their attention towards Zakaria or Tolisso instead.
