Barcelona are reportedly weighing up the prospect of signing 30-year-old Brazilian international Oscar from Shanghai Port this month.
According to a report by Spanish publication Mundo Deportivo, Oscar is the subject of interest from Barcelona over a possible move in the January transfer window. The Catalan giants have already contacted his agent Kia Joorabchian to open talks, although the 30-year-old Brazilian international is not their priority.
Oscar joined Shanghai Port from Chelsea in a shock move in January 2017, back when the Chinese Super League witnessed an influx of talented players due to the riches on offer. The Brazilian playmaker has ended up being one of the longest-staying overseas players in the country in the last half a decade.
The 30-year-old has made 170 appearances to date for Shanghai Port, chipping in with 50 goals and 93 assists in the process. But it looks like Oscar’s stint with the Chinese club could end this month as he is keen on returning to Europe. And one of his prospective suitors could be Barcelona.
The interest from Barcelona comes as a surprise, even though they could do with an injection of creativity in their gameplay. Oscar could essentially be a like-for-like replacement for Philippe Coutinho, who has joined Aston Villa on a loan deal this month.
The Brazilian international could also prove to be an economical short-term replacement for Frenkie de Jong at Barcelona amid uncertainties surrounding the future of the Dutch playmaker. The Catalan giants have thus opened talks with Oscar’s agent Kia Joorabchian over a possible January move.
The 30-year-old is keen on returning to Europe after five years in China and would relish the chance of joining Barcelona. But the former Chelsea star is not a priority target for Barcelona yet, and they will assess other options before possibly returning to him.
Oscar is willing to seek a basic wage to join Barcelona, which should ideally be appealing to the Blaugrana. But with other attacking midfielders like Xavi Simons also on Barcelona’s radar, the 30-year-old Brazilian international’s fate is hanging in the balance. Kia Joorabchian might need to cast a magic spell to ensure a January transfer materialises.
