Barcelona dealt transfer blow as Villarreal unwilling to part with 25-year-old in January: Reports
According to Spanish outlet Marca, FC Barcelona's inquiry regarding a deal for Alfonso Pedraza has reportedly been unsuccessful. Villarreal are not interested in parting ways with the highly-rated full-back this month.
The 26-time Spanish champions have been looking for a left-back for a while now and have set their sights on the Villarreal man. First-choice left-back Jordi Alba is on the wrong side of 30 and has not been at his best lately. Signing Pedraza would not only give Xavi a solid alternative but would also force Alba to up the ante,
Pedraza, who has been excellent under former Arsenal boss Unai Emery, could suit Xavi’s system well and add a new dimension to their attack. The Spaniard is also comfortable playing further up the pitch and is an expert at sending inviting crosses into the opposition box.
Villarreal don't want to sell Alfonso Pedraza this winter, with the Yellow Submarine having rejected a formal offer for the left-back from Napoli and having also dismissed interest from Barcelona in the left-back.
The Yellow Submarine are reportedly not willing to sell Pedraza, especially not to a direct La Liga rival. The Spanish side do not want to risk weakening their squad by letting the full-back leave in the January transfer window.
Barcelona are not the only team interested in Pedraza’s services. Serie A giants Napoli are also believed to be keeping an eye on the Villarreal star. They reportedly submitted a formal offer to the La Liga outfit but it was promptly turned down by Pedraza’s current employers.
The 25-year-old has featured in 22 games for Villarreal this season, registering six assists.
Chelsea interested in signing Barcelona outcast
Premier League giants Chelsea are reportedly interested in signing Barcelona outcast Ousmane Dembele. Thomas Tuchel, who worked with the Frenchman at Borussia Dortmund, is a long-time admirer of the player and is eager to bring him to London.
Chelsea are monitoring Ousmane Dembele. Barcelona have now told him he must leave this month, but any departure is only likely to be a loan until the end of the season.
But Thomas Tuchel's priority is still to sign a 'specialist' left wing-back this month.
- @jamesrobsonES
However, Chelsea are not interested in signing the player for a fee this season. They are more likely to approach him after his contract runs out at the end of the campaign.
The Blues are primarily focused on getting a left-wing back in January. This means they wouldn’t mind playing the waiting game for Dembele, if necessary.