New AC Milan midfielder Tijjani Reijnders has revealed that Barcelona were interested in a late deal for him prior to his move.
The 24-year-old moved to Milan from AZ Alkmaar for around £16m, but he could have ended up at the Camp Nou this summer instead.
Barcelona have signed Oriol Romeu and Ilkay Gundogan to reinforce their midfield this summer following the departure of Sergio Busquets, but may have wanted the Dutchman as a younger option.
Speaking to La Gazzetta dello Sport, Reijnders claimed that Barcelona manager Xavi called him to enquire about a deal, but his transfer to Milan was already in the works.
“Xavi called me to talk about the possibility of signing for Barcelona. It was impossible for me, I had already decided to join AC Milan,” he stated.
Should Barcelona have signed Reijnders?
Barcelona’s eleventh-hour move for the player indicates that they did consider him an option this summer, and reports suggest that they are still keen on a new midfielder on top of Gundogan and Romeu.
Reijnders was one of the best midfielders in the Netherlands in terms of his ability on the ball, but whilst he seems ideally suited to Barcelona’s style, he is a midfielder who thrives further up the pitch.
Unlike Romeu, he cannot help replace Busquets’ defensive role, and with Gundogan, Pedri, Gavi and Frenkie De Jong available as more advanced options, game time will have been hard to come by for the midfielder.
Whilst he could have been a very useful depth option, Barcelona may not have been able to afford paying £16m for a player who would not have come in as a starter.
If he does thrive at a big club like Milan, then he is a player that Xavi can keep an eye on with regard to a future deal, but as it stands, there are unlikely to be regrets over missing this deal if Gundogan can hit the ground running.