Barcelona keeping tabs on 3 Premier League superstars if they fail to sign Martin Zubimendi: Reports
Barcelona are prepared to sign Real Sociedad midfielder Martin Zubimendi in the upcoming transfer window. However, the Catalan giants are struggling with finances and have no guarantee that they will be able to pull off a move for the 23-year-old.
According to Mundo Deportivo, the economic uncertainties have pushed the Blaugrana to keep tabs on three Premier League superstars.
The first superstar is Chelsea dynamo N'Golo Kante, who will be available on a free transfer at the end of the season if the Blues fail to extend his contract.
Midfield distributor Jorginho is also another player at Stamford Bridge that Barcelona are said to have their eyes on. Like Kante, the 30-year-old will be free to move to Camp Nou at the end of the season if the Chelsea hierarchy fail to extend his contract on time.
This will not be the first time Barca are heading to Stamford Bridge to snatch up players at a very low cost. The Spanish giants improved their defense last summer by snatching up former Blues Andreas Christensen and Marcos Alonso.
Similar to the defensive duo, Jorginho and Kante won the Champions League trophy under Thomas Tuchel and have a lot of experience under their belts.
The final player on Barcelona's list is Manchester City midfield dynamo Ilkay Gundogan. The 32-year-old is said to be interested in a move to Camp Nou, but the Cityzens could still extend his contract, which expires in the summer.
Bernardo Silva is also Xavi Hernandez's main target, but there is no guarantee that Manchester City will be willing to let him go to Camp Nou. Barca, meanwhile, will retain hope that he can potentially pull off the move for Zubimendi.
Barcelona midfielder Frenkie de Jong reacts to World Cup exit
Their exit from the World Cup came from a loss to Argentina on penalties, which saw Liverpool's Virgil van Dijk notably miss the Netherlands' first take.
Frenkie de Jong took to Instagram to share a picture of himself in the national team's uniform, with the caption:
"It was a dream that came to an end, but we will never stop dreaming."
De Jong is expected to return to Camp Nou in due course. However, he is likely to be granted some time off to rest following his travails at the global tournament.