Reports: Barcelona favourites to complete signing of €40 million winger

New Barcelona manager, Valverde is determined to get business done early

What’s the story?

Barcelona are expected to beat Manchester United and Chelsea in the race to sign 23-year-old Fiorentina winger Federico Bernardeschi. The Blaugrana have been in pursuit of Borussia Dortmund's Ousmane Dembele. However, with the move looking complicated to complete, Luis Miguelsanz of Spanish publication SPORT has claimed that Valverde has now turned his attentions to the Serie A wideman.

Arguably La Viola’s best player last season, the 23-year-old’s impressive performances have not gone unnoticed with a number of top clubs across Europe including United, Chelsea and Juventus registering an interest in the talented Italian. Capable of beating defenders with ridiculous ease and blessed with good speed, Bernardeschi could prove to be an intelligent addition to the Catalan giants’ side.

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A perfect replacement for Arda Turan?

The Fiorentina winger’s contract ends in 2019 and with the Italian yet to agree a new deal, the Viola might be ready to listen to offers above €40 million. While the Barcelona front 3 of Messi, Neymar and Suarez are irreplaceable, the Blaugrana have struggled to add depth to their attacking line-up with Paco Alcacer and Arda Turan having indifferent seasons.

With Arda Turan expected to leave in this transfer window, Bernardeschi could prove to be an ideal long-term replacement for the Turkish international.

The heart of the matter

Barcelona are determined to get the better of their arch-rivals Real Madrid next season and Valverde will be under pressure to get the right kind of players to the Camp Nou. While Dembele is an excellent option, Bernardeschi could prove to be an excellent backup option should the Catalans fail to sign the French international.

Skilled on the ball and with plenty of time to improve, the Italy international will definitely add some depth and quality to the already brilliant Barcelona side.

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Author’s take

While the world is obsessed with the likes of Mbappe, Dembele and Paulo Dybala, Bernardeschi is also an extremely talented player who is capable of making an impact. With the winger available for a relatively cheap price of 40 million euros, Barcelona should take this move forward if they fail to sign their number 1 target Ousmane Dembele.