Luis Enrique pondering Banega swoop - El Desmarque

According to Seville-based sports website desmarque.com, Barcelona are interested in signing Argentine midfielder Éver Banega, who will be free to move to the club of his choice on 30 June. El Desmarque, who who are close to sources at Sevilla, claim that Luis Enrique is a fan of Banega and that contact has already been made with the player’s agent. There’s no doubt that Banega’s style of play suits Barça’s philosophy and his performances, which were erratic during his stints at Valencia and Atlético de Madrid, seem to have stabilized at Sevilla.

Banega, Sevilla’s ‘metronome’, was voted the best player in last year’s Europa League. Luis Enrique meanwhile, has a tendency to opt for players who know LaLiga well and who are reliable. And Barcelona have been more than satisfied with the performance levels shown by all of the players they have signed from Sevilla in recent years such as Dani Alves, Keita, Adriano, Rakitic and Aleix Vidal. It wouldn’t be too much of a surprise if they made a summer move for Banega.

Last month, there was speculation that Banega could have a verbal agreement with Inter Milan and could even have left in the January window. As it stands, Sevilla will be attempting to coax him into signing a contract extension, an option which looks unlikely.