Barcelona have reportedly been handed a major boost in pursuit of Alex Sandro, with Juventus ready to sell the 30-year-old to them.
According to a report by Spanish outlet Fichajes, Juventus defender Alex Sandro could be inching closer to joining Barcelona in the summer transfer window. The Serie A giants are prepared to sell the 30-year-old defender to the Blaugrana ahead of the 2022/23 season.
Alex Sandro joined Juventus from FC Porto in August 2015 and has since enjoyed a largely fruitful stint with the Bianconeri. In the first half a decade of his spell, the Brazilian defender established himself as one of the best left-backs in Serie A while also carving out a place in his national side.
To date, the 30-year-old has made 258 appearances for Juventus, chipping in with 14 goals and 30 assists in the process. But Sandro’s stock has been on the wane in the last 18 months, and he has had to share game-time during this period. That has not done anything to detract prospective suitors, with Barcelona reportedly keen on signing him.
Recent reports have claimed that Barcelona could be plotting a January move for Sandro. But as per Fichajes, the Catalan giants are looking to bring the 30-year-old to Camp Nou in the summer transfer window instead, with Jordi Alba likely to see out the campaign as the first-choice left-back.
Alba’s performances this season have often left a lot to be desired, with the Spaniard becoming increasingly unreliable in the last couple of years. Alejandro Balde, deemed to be Alba’s long-term successor, has been experiencing teething problems since being promoted to the first-team setup at the onset of the ongoing campaign and will need to be given time to be groomed properly.
Barcelona will thus need to sign a left-back in the summer to compete with Alba or usurp him as the first-choice option next season. To that end, Sandro is a viable target for Barcelona, especially considering he will be a short-term solution till the time Balde is ready to take over as the primary left-back.
The Catalan giants have now been handed a major boost in pursuit of the 30-year-old, with Juventus prepared to sell him to them. In turn, the Serie A giants plan to bring Ramy Bensebaini in as the 30-year-old’s replacement. Interestingly, the Borussia Monchengladbach has also been linked with Barcelona, although Sandro is now one of their key targets.