Barcelona will not pursue 34-year-old Spanish international Dani Parejo, with Oriol Romeu now becoming the top target for them.
According to a report by Spanish outlet Mundo Deportivo, Dani Parejo no longer features on Barcelona’s wishlist. Oriol Romeu is now the priority target to fill the holding midfield void at Spotify Camp Nou. And the Girona midfielder’s acquisition will enable Barcelona to direct funds to other areas of concern.
Dani Parejo is a veteran of La Liga with over 450 appearances in the competition. Nealy two-thirds of that tally came during his stint with Valencia, where he also served as the club captain. But the 34-year-old saw his spell with Los Che ending in tears after they parted ways with him three years ago.
The Spanish international has found a second wind since joining Villarreal, coming leaps and bounds at Estadio de la Ceramica. And Parejo has turned out nearly 150 times for the Yellow Submarine, chipping in with nine and 27 assists. Meanwhile, despite his advancing years, he has emerged as a target for Barcelona.
Recent reports also claimed that Barcelona had submitted a contract offer for Parejo. And it was hardly surprising that the veteran midfielder had emerged as a target for the Blaugrana. While he was not going to be a like-for-like replacement for the now-departed Sergio Busquets, he could have filled the leadership void in the Barcelona squad.
Meanwhile, Parejo’s versatility would have helped him become an asset for Barcelona. But the Catalan giants have now cooled their interest in the Spanish international. And they will not focus on re-signing Oriol Romeu, whose stock has risen since joining Girona from Southampton last summer.
Recent reports have claimed that Barcelona might offer a part-exchange deal to secure Romeu’s services. And the experienced Spanish midfielder is now the top midfield target for Barcelona. Meanwhile, the former Southampton midfielder can be a like-for-like replacement for Busquets, although he will offer lower quality.
As for the decision to rule out a move for Parejo, it stems from the cash crunch at the Catalan club. And the newly-crowned La Liga champions intend to direct the funds saved from signing Romeu towards pursuing a right-back this summer.
