FC Barcelona Make Contact to Sign Juventus Forward Bernardeschi, Claims Report

FC Barcelona have opened contact with Juventus forward Federico Bernardeschi over a summer move to La Liga, according to a report.

By SPORT on Saturday evening in Spain, it has been claimed that the Italy international is “once again” on the rader of the Blaugrana, after previously being negotiated in August 2019 and the January transfer window.

At the turn of 2020, Bernardeschi was wanted as part of a swap deal involving Ivan Rakitic. And while this could still happen, the Croat prefers a move back to his former club Sevilla and the city where he met his wife and started a family.

A short editorial from the Catalan daily newspaper alleges that “contacts with the Italian winger began again with a view to the future summer market” recently, with the fact that the 26-year-old has not “entered too much into the plans of Juventus coach Mauizio Sarri” allowing negotiations to reopen with Barça.

There will also be the arrival of 19-year-old Swedish sensation Dejan Kulusevski, currently on loan to Parma, that will push Bernardeschi to the exit door too, and even if Quique Setien’s overlords cannot bring his price down with a player-plus-cash swap, his current price tag of around $30mn is not a deterrent.

Often classed as an outright right winger, Bernardeschi, who joined the Old Lady from Fiorentina for a fee of $44mn in 2017, can also operate on the left and as an attacking midfielder or second striker.

With FCB also moving Arturo Vidal on to Italy in the summer, there will be plenty of room in the squad for center-of-the-park operatives while frequent injuries to widemen such as Ousmane Dembele could see him earn minutes at the Camp Nou on either flank.

Neymar and Lautaro Martinez the top two targets, costing a near $300mn, Bernardeschi’s capture will provide relief if both South American cracks cannot be landed – which looks likely given the impact that the outbreak of COVID-19 has had on revenues.

If completing the switch, Bernardeschi would join 2006 World Cup winner Gianluca Zambrotta in the hallmarks of senior compatriot stars that have traded Turin for Barcelona.