Borussia Dortmund are reportedly seeking the loan signing of Barcelona midfielder Riqui Puig, who has found game-time hard to come by this season.
According to a report from Fichajes, Barcelona midfielder Riqui Puig has emerged as a loan target for German bigwigs Borussia Dortmund ahead of the January transfer window.
The 22-year-old, a product of the Barcelona youth academy, broke into the senior team in 2018 under Ernesto Valverde. While he had been tipped for a bright future in the first team, Puig has failed to live up to the expectations, having been unable to get regular minutes under any of the managers he has played under.
Indeed, the Spaniard was hardly a regular under Valverde or Quique Setien while he was borderline frozen out by Ronald Koeman over the past fifteen months or so. Things have failed to improve under Xavi Hernandez either, with Puig firmly behind Frenkie de Jong, Pedri, Gavi and Nico Gonzalez in the pecking order of things.
As a result, Barcelona would be open to parting ways with the La Masia graduate, with a report from Fichajes earlier this week indicating that the Catalans would consider selling him for a fee of €10 million.
Borussia Dortmund have now come forward as a suitor for the 22-year-old, although they are only looking to sign Puig on a loan deal till the end of the ongoing campaign. The Black and Yellows are keen on bolstering their squad as they prepare to make a push for the Bundesliga title in the second half of the campaign.
With Reinier Jesus likely to return to Real Madrid having failed to make much of an impact during his loan spell, there could be space open in the squad for a midfielder of Puig’s ilk. The Barça academy graduate can be an asset with his ball-carrying abilities and range of distribution.
The 22-year-old can provide cover and competition for Jude Bellingham and Mahmoud Dahoud while also helping manager Marco Rose rotate his troops effectively as Dortmund compete for the Bundesliga title and hope to go the distance in the UEFA Europa League.
Apart from Borussia Dortmund, Puig is also courting interest from AS Roma, while some clubs in La Liga are keen on taking him on loan. So, it remains to be seen what the immediate future holds for the Barcelona academy product.
