Barcelona and Manchester City to go head-to-head in pursuit of highly-rated Julian Weigl, who Pep Guardiola is ‘in love with’
Borussia Dortmund midfielder, 21, is one of hottest properties in German football and likely to start transfer tug-of-war in summer
MANCHESTER CITY are set to go head-to-head with Barcelona in pursuit of Borussia Dortmund’s Julian Weigl in the summer.
The reigning La Liga champions see the 21-year-old German midfielder as a long-term replacement to Sergio Busquets.
Barcelona’s main focus in 2017 appears to be retaining the biggest stars currently in their squad, with the likes of Neymar and Luis Suarez having penned new deals and Lionel Messi’s future still a point of discussion.
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And a lot of long-term business was done last summer, with Lucas Digne, Samuel Umititi and Andre Gomes all 23 years old and bought with the future in mind.
report that Weigl is the Catalan side’s No.1 target for the summer, but Barca will face serious competition from former manager, Pep Guardiola, who is described as being “in love” with the Dortmund ace.
And the two-time Champions League-winning boss made it clear the midfielder was one of his main objectives before agreeing to take over at the Etihad.
City have the financial muscle and the attraction to rival Spanish giants, while they also play a similar style of football — and are in the market for a long-term Yaya Toure replacement.
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Weigl is considered one of the hottest prospects in German football and recently put pen-to-paper on a new contract at the Westfalenstadion, which runs out in 2021.
Barcelona have been monitoring the young midfielder’s progress and are set to make their move in the summer.