Portuguese giants Benfica are reportedly keen on securing the services of Barcelona outcast Riqui Puig in the summer transfer window.
According to reputed Spanish journalist Gerard Romero, Riqui Puig is the subject of interest from Benfica over a possible move in the summer transfer window. The 22-year-old midfielder is surplus to requirements at Camp Nou, with Barcelona giving him an extra week off so he can find his next destination.
Riqui Puig seemed to be destined for greatness when he was rising through the ranks at Barcelona’s fabled academy, La Masia. The Spaniard made his first-team debut for Barcelona as a 19-year-old in April 2019, with his best run coming under the tutelage of Quique Setien.
But the 22-year-old has tumbled down the pecking order and is now at the very bottom of it, with Xavi Hernandez and Ronald Koeman barely utilising him in the last couple of seasons. Puig garnered just 544 minutes of game-time across 18 appearances for Barcelona this past term, struggling to make an impression even when Pedri served time on the sidelines.
With his Barcelona career headed nowhere, he needs to call it quits at Camp Nou to resurrect his stuttering career. Puig has no shortage of suitors either, as widespread reports have linked him with Lazio, AS Monaco, Lyon, Valencia and several other clubs. But according to Gerard Romero, his next destination could be Benfica.
The interest from Benfica is intriguing, considering Roger Schmidt has a plethora of central midfielders at his disposal. Attack needs more attention from the new Benfica manager, but the Portuguese giants seem to be keen on securing the services of the Barcelona outcast in the summer transfer window.
The interest in the Portuguese club comes directly from Roger Schmidt, who wanted to bring Puig onboard when he was at PSV Eindhoven. So the new Benfica manager will likely have a plan for the Barcelona outcast heading into the 2022/23 season.
It will be interesting to see if some other club jumps in to beat Benfica to Puig’s signature. As things stand, the Portuguese giants are the favourites to secure the services of the 22-year-old midfielder in the summer transfer window.
