Barcelona considering Dani Parejo swoop

Barcelona will reportedly pursue veteran Spanish midfielder Dani Parejo to replace Sergio Busquets in the summer.

According to reputed Spanish journalist Gerard Romero, Dani Parejo is the subject of interest from Barcelona. The Catalan giants are considering signing the veteran Spanish midfielder from Villarreal if Sergio Busquets departs from Spotify Camp Nou in the summer transfer window.

Dani Parejo is a stalwart of La Liga who deserves more recognition at the international level. The 33-year-old is a graduate of the Real Madrid academy, but he failed to make his mark at the Santiago Bernabeu. And after a short stint with Getafe, he excelled at Valencia CF, rising to club captain status in due course.

But Parejo’s stint at the Mestalla came to a tearful end in August 2020 when he joined Villarreal. And the veteran Spanish midfielder has gone from strength to strength at Estadio de la Ceramica. The player has turned out 127 times thus far for Villarreal, chipping in with six goals and 26 assists. And Parejo’s performances have captured the attention of Barcelona.

Barcelona will delve into the market for a midfield reinforcement in the summer transfer window. That is because Sergio Busquets is in the twilight of his career and approaching the end of his playing days. And the Barcelona captain is considering departing from Spotify Camp Nou in the summer.

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So Barcelona will need to lay down a succession plan for Busquets. And with Franck Kessie also facing an uncertain future at Camp Nou, the need to sign a midfielder will be urgent. Several players, including Martin Zubimendi, have thus emerged on Barcelona’s radar. But the Real Sociedad midfielder might be beyond reach for the financially-stricken Blaugrana.

Parejo has now emerged as a target for Barcelona, according to Gerard Romero. And the eminent journalist has suggested that Xavi Hernandez is keen on bringing the veteran Spanish midfielder to Camp Nou as a replacement for Busquets. The operation will likely formulate in the summer.

But the interest in Parejo is intriguing, considering he is approaching the final phase of his career. In addition, the 33-year-old will not be a like-for-like replacement for the Barcelona captain. Nonetheless, it will be interesting to see if a summer move sees the light of day just a couple of years after a deal failed to materialise for the veteran Spanish midfielder.