Former Barcelona star to join Lionel Messi and Sergio Busquets at Inter Miami - Reports
Former Barcelona defender Jordi Alba is set to join MLS side Inter Miami. According to Catalan outlet El Nacional, the Spaniard is set to reunite with former teammates Lionel Messi and Sergio Busquets in the US.
Messi was the first to make a move to David Beckham's team. The Argentine superstar's contract with Paris Saint-Germain (PSG) expires on June 30, 2023. He expressed a desire to return to the Catalan giants, however, the Blaugrana's difficult financial position meant a reunion was out of the cards.
The situation with Busquets, however, was different. Barcelona were interested in bringing the veteran midfielder back. However, he informed the club that he was looking for a change of scenery and decided to join his former teammate in Florida.
Jordi Alba had a contract with the Blaugrana until 2024. However, the emergence of Alejandro Balde meant the veteran left-back had to take a backup role in his last season at Barcelona.
Eventually, he decided to prematurely terminate his contract with the club. The report adds that he has also agreed to write off his deferred wage payments, a move that will help the club tremendously. He is expected to be announced as an Inter Miami player in the coming days.
Barcelona pushing to sign Serie A star linked with Al-Nassr
Barcelona are expected to battle Saudi Pro League side Al-Nassr in the race for Inter Milan midfielder Marcelo Brozovic. According to Mundo Deportivo, the Blaugrana are pushing to sign the Croatian who looks likely to depart the San Siro this window.
Xavi's side consider the 30-year-old as a replacement for Sergio Busquets. The long-time club veteran left to join his old teammate Lionel Messi at Inter Miami. Having lost out on Real Sociedad's Martin Zubimendi and Bayern Munich's Joshua Kimmich, they have turned to the Croatian.
The report claims that while the Saudi side are side expected to be the favorites to land Brozovic, Barcelona have been hard at work to reach an agreement. The clubs looked to negotiate a swap deal between Brozovic and Franck Kessie in January but the talks did not advance.
Brozovic is reportedly unhappy with the club's management and is happy to seek a move elsewhere. The report states that there is a rift between the player and the team as the 30-year-old feels that his injuries were not managed properly. The Croatian missed extended spells of time this season and in his absence, Hakan Calhanoglu emerged as a strong option.