?Barcelona’s search to strengthen the centre of their defence has seen them linked with AC Milan’s captain Alessio Romagnoli.
The Italian could be set for a tug of war between the Spanish giants and Italian side Lazio, who are also interested in the defender.
However, Sport report that Barcelona could face a couple of problems bringing Romagnoli to Camp Nou. ?AC Milan are reluctant to sell one of their best players, and a mixture of Barcelona’s (relatively) tight financial constraints and their desire to buy a big-name forward mean they are not able to spend a large amount on the centre-back, with a potential transfer costing around €50m.
Added to that, Romagnoli’s agent is Mino Raiola – who is known for his tough negotiations, and willingness to play hardball with both buying and selling clubs when it comes to transfers and contract renewals.
As well as looking around at potential new destinations, Raiola will be attempting to secure his client a new deal worth more than his current €3.5m a season.
However, ?Barcelona are desperate to find a new left-sided centre-back and have been following Romagnoli for a while, with Samuel Umtiti tipped to depart this summer after a litany of injury issues.
Moreover, midfielders Ivan Rakitic and Rafinha may be offloaded in order to raise funds for a summer rebuild.
Already a natural leader as captain of AC Milan, the former Roma defender is seen as someone who could have a crack at filling the void left by the likes of Giorgio Chiellini and Leonardo Bonucci in the heart of the Italian national team’s defence when they retire.
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