Barcelona have seen two key players leave the Nou Camp this summer, and so coach Ernesto Valverde will undoubtedly hope to see those voids filled before the new season starts.
After Andres Iniesta bid an emotional farewell to the Nou Camp at the end of last season before joining Vissel Kobe, BBC Sport note how Paulinho has moved back to Guangzhou Evergrande.
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In turn, that could leave the Catalan giants a little light in midfield, but surprisingly that isn’t the area being discussed by AS, who claim that after Lionel Messi urged the club to move for compatriot Cristian Pavon, Boca Juniors will look to insert a €42.5m release clause into the winger’s new contract.
With that now potentially becoming an obstacle, it remains to be seen whether or not Barcelona continue their purported pursuit of the 22-year-old, who impressed for Boca last season before making a limited impression for Argentina at the World Cup this summer.
Pavon bagged seven goals and 19 assists in 32 appearances for Boca last year, and as per AS, that was more than enough to reportedly convince Messi that he would be a useful addition for Barcelona.
It’s questionable as to where he would fit in though given Valverde also has Luis Suarez, Ousmane Dembele and Philippe Coutinho at his disposal in the final third, while the potential new release clause could complicate matters further.
Barcelona secured a domestic double last season but fell way short in the Champions League. Particularly with their midfield being weakened this summer, bolstering that department seems like the logical strategy and priority in the coming weeks as they’ll look to build on the success in Valverde’s first campaign at the helm.