Zubimendi: The next Busquets?
The Real Sociedad midfielder is, along with Ruben Neves and Jorginho, the best-placed candidate to replace Busquets.
Sergio Busquets is in the final year of his contract with FC Barcelona and has not yet decided what he will do with his future. As a result, Barcelona have to start looking for a successor for the 34-year-old defensive midfielder. This newspaper reported on 19 May that the Catalan club have identified Real Sociedad’s 23-year-old midfielder Martin Zubimendi as the player they would most like to replace Busquets,
According to the AI platform Olocip, Zubimendi is the second best midfield option under 25 years of age who would best perform the role. The Artificial Intelligence data highlights West Ham midfielder Declan Rice as the primary option, however, the Blaugrana do not believe he would be easy to lure, due to the price tag and added interest from Premier League clubs.
Another player Barcelona are keen on is Wolves’ Portuguese midfielder Ruben Neves, 25, who has long been highly recommended by his agent Jorge Mendes.
Jorginho, Chelsea’s Italian-born Brazilian, is also on the list of options, but at 30, is not one for the future. In the meantime, Frenkie de Jong is Xavi’s main alternative at Camp Nou.