Barcelona are facing financial constraints, but are still in the market to strengthen their squad, with a midfielder urgently needed.
The loss of Sergio Busquets has hit Barcelona hard, and a defensive midfielder who can play at the base as a pivot is now a priority for the club.
Mikel Merino has been linked, but like Barcelona’s other options such as Frenkie De Jong, Gavi and Ilkay Gundogan, he is not a natural number six like Busquets was.
If FFP constraints can be tackled, manager Hansi Flick may be able to recruit a player he is very familiar with in VFB Stuttgart star Angelo Stiller.
Barcelona are interested in Stuttgart midfielder Angelo Stiller
Sky Sports Germany have now revealed that Barcelona are interested in Stuttgart midfielder Angleo Stiller, who enjoyed an outstanding campaign as his side finished second in the Bundesliga.
Stiller and Flick share the same agent, Pini Zahavi, which could give Barcelona a boost over any potential deal.
The 23-year-old has an asking price of around €25m, meaning that as it stands, Barcelona will need to work around their financial constraints to structure a deal.
If there are exits from the squad to free up enough room to accommodate Stiller, he could be the ideal signing for the midfield.
Angelo Stiller can dictate play from deep positions in Barcelona midfield
Stiller ranks in the top 10% of European midfielders for passing and shot-creating actions, and crucially, the top 12% for progressive passes.
He is a player who can provide a lot of energy in midfield, whilst also progressing the ball from deep positions, to help replace the impact of Busquets.
Busquets is perhaps an irreplaceable player, but having a midfielder who can cover ground whilst also distributing the ball will help Barcelona move on from the Spaniard, and if Stiller does join, he is a player who could become a long-term starter.
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