BARCELONA are said to be chasing Liverpool flop Luis Alberto as the man to succeed Andres Iniesta.
The Spanish giants have been left with a huge hole to fill in their midfield with Iniesta leaving the club at the end of the season.
The brilliant play-maker is making a lucrative move to play in China this summer, and Barca are now looking around for someone to take his role in their squad.
And according to Gazetta dello Sport in Italy, the man they want is Lazio star Alberto – who failed to make the grade at Anfield.
Alberto, 25, was snapped up from Sevilla by Liverpool for £6.8million in 2013 at a time when he was touted as one of the best young players in Spain.
But he only made nine first team appearances for the club in his first season as he struggled to cope with the physical demands of his switch to the Premier League.
The midfielder then spent the next two seasons out on loan with Malaga and the Deportivo, before Liverpool finally decided to sell him to Lazio in 2016 for £3.2m.
Since then he has gone on to develop his game in Italy and is now one of the key players in the Rome club’s side.
MILNER NO-GO James Milner will not make sensational England U-turn despite FA plea
And his form is said to have caught the eye of Barca scouts as the look to ring changes at the Nou Camp over the summer.
Most read in football
Iniesta is a player difficult to replace, but they are understood to believe Alberto has the technique and now pedigree to come into the club.
But should they look to follow through their interest with a formal bid, Lazio will not make it easy as they have no intention of selling.
A valuation of around £35m has been mentioned, which would see the Serie A club making a huge return on the fee they paid Liverpool for the player.
Leave a comment