/*Barcelona will reportedly battle La Liga rivals Atletico Madrid and Sevilla in the race to sign 29-year-old Spanish international Luis Alberto.
According to a report by Spanish outlet Fichajes, Luis Alberto has emerged on the radar of Barcelona over a possible move in the summer transfer window. The Spanish international is keen on returning to La Liga, where Atletico Madrid and Sevilla are also keen on signing him.
Luis Alberto has found stability in his career since joining Lazio from Liverpool in August 2016. Until half a decade ago, the 29-year-old had been struggling to establish a foothold at a club, having represented Sevilla, Barcelona B, Liverpool, Malaga and Deportivo La Coruna without dazzling anywhere.
But he is now widely regarded as one of the best midfielders in Serie A, having gone from strength to strength in the last five and a half years. To date, the Spanish international has turned out 207 times for Lazio, chipping in with 38 goals and 56 assists along the way.
But Alberto has confessed that he is keen on returning to La Liga while at the peak of his powers. Such a situation has not gone unnoticed, with three Spanish heavyweights, including Barcelona, setting their sights on him.
The interest in Barcelona comes in the wake of rampant uncertainties surrounding the future of Frenkie de Jong. While recent reports have claimed that the Dutch international is unwilling to depart Camp Nou, the Blaugrana could be forced to cash in on him to balance their books and fund key transfers in the summer transfer window.
But if de Jong stays put at Barcelona, the need to sign a central midfielder could disappear. Nonetheless, the Catalan giants are seemingly keeping their options open, with Paul Pogba another midfielder on their radar. And Alberto is also a viable target for Barcelona.
But Barcelona will need to fend off stiff competition from other La Liga rivals in the race to sign the 29-year-old Spanish international, with Atletico Madrid and Sevilla also hot on his trail. For now, it is clear that Alberto is keen on returning to Spain sooner rather than later, and it will be interesting to see if he joins Barcelona in the summer transfer window.
