Fiorentina are reportedly in contact with Barcelona midfielder Riqui Puig as they consider the possibility of signing him this summer.
According to Relevo, Barcelona midfield misfit Riqui Puig is attracting interest from several clubs in Italy, with Fiorentina also in the hunt for his signing. The Viola have been in talks with the La Masia graduate over a possible move this summer.
Puig has struggled to cement a place in the Barcelona first-team setup since his debut in 2018 under then-manager Ernesto Valverde. The 22-year-old has found it hard to translate the potential he had shown throughout his youth career to the senior level and has been unable to win over the faith of the managers he has played under.
Indeed, Puig has struggled for game-time in the Barcelona senior setup under Valverde, Quique Setien, Ronald Koeman and now Xavi Hernandez. The La Masia graduate played just 17 matches across all competitions in the 2021/22 campaign, finding himself behind younger players like Pedri and Gavi in the pecking order.
With Barcelona set to announce the signing of Franck Kessie imminently, Puig will fall further out of relevance at Camp Nou and has been told by manager Xavi to find himself a new club this summer.
Despite his recent troubles at the first-team level, Puig is courting interest from several clubs from within Spain and the rest of Europe. La Liga sides like Valencia and Girona have been linked with a move for the 22-year-old midfielder, while clubs in France and Italy, such as AS Monaco, Lyon and Lazio are also keen.
Now Fiorentina have also joined the race to sign Puig. The report from Relevo claims that the Viola have held an interest in him for a while and have been in contact with the Barcelona academy graduate to discuss a potential transfer. Having failed to secure the signing of Lucas Torreira permanently, Fiorentina need a new midfielder and see Puig as an option.
However, Puig is favouring a move to Portuguese giants Benfica, who have retained their interest in the 22-year-old. With his contract with Barcelona expiring in a year, an exit is certain for the La Masia ace this summer and only time will tell where he ends up before the transfer window closes.
