Barcelona offered chance to sign Brazilian starlet - Reports
Barcelona have been offered the chance to sign highly-rated Palmeiras midfielder Danilo dos Santos de Oliveira.
As per Spanish outlet Sport, the Catan giants have been offered the chance to sign the Brazilian whizkid for around €20-25 million.
The report claims that the Blaugrana admire the 21-year-old midfielder but their priority target for midfield remains Wolverhampton Wanderers midfielder Ruben Neves.
Danilo made quite an impression on the global stage with his exceptional showings in the FIFA Club World Cup.
Chelsea won the tournament by beating Palmeiras in the final but the young midfielder was awarded the Bronze Ball.
Danilo's exploits in his homeland have alerted a host of European giants as per Sport.
As per Sportsmole, the Brazilian is also wanted by Arsenal as the Gunners look to strengthen their midfield ranks.
Like most Brazilian players, Danilo is exceptionally gifted in terms of technique and likes to operate as a deep lying playmaker.
Danilo, the 21 year old wonderkid from Palmeiras, has been offered to Barcelona. He is a strong, fast, and technically skilled pivot. He would cost between €20-25m.
— @sport https://t.co/JTzVmSeImt
His frame of 5 ft 10 in is not quite imposing for a number six but he makes up for it with his strong positioning and tactical awareness.
The 21-year-old has been ever-impressive for Palmeiras this season and he has particularly caught the eye with his ability to recover the ball.
Despite playing mostly as a defensive-minded midfielder, Danilo boasts impressive attacking numbers as well.
He has scored five goals and provided two assists in 23 games for his club across all competitions this season.
Brazil national team manager Tite has also recognized the development of the young midfielder and has rewarded him with his first senior callup.
The 21-year-old is expected to feature for the Selecao in June in their friendlies against Korea Republic, Japan and Argentina.
A place in the World Cup squad could also be on the cards if the youngster can take his opportunity to impress Tite.
Barcelona have a monumental task in their hands to find the successor to Sergio Busquets
Sergio Busquets has been a pivotal player for Barcelona over the years and continues to remain one of their key assets.
However, the Spaniard is not getting any younger and it is high time that Xavi Hernandez looks for a long-term successor of his former teammate.
Riquelme: "Busquets confused world football. He is the only '10' playing as a '5.' We forgot that in that position, they were there to defend, to stick between the centre backs. We now expect every '5' to have great passing, and '10s' are forgotten. There is only one Busquets." https://t.co/yDg9xSi27W
It is practically impossible to find a player who can replace Busquets, who is arguably one of the best ever number six players of all time.
Ruben Neves would be quite a solid option, though, thanks to his experience despite a young age.
Barcelona have plenty of options across their midfield at the moment and it might be worthwhile to take a chance with Danilo if they cannot afford to sign Neves.