Barcelona endured a horrific end to the season where the club went from a possible treble winning season to winning a single trophy in a matter of weeks. With issues creeping up in the squad, we expect changes in personnel in the summer.
According to the Spanish outlet Mundo Deportivo, 26-year-old Jerome Roussillon, who hones his craft in Bundesliga, has come on the radar of the Catalan club. The director of football for Barca, Eric Abidal had already noticed the player in his Montpellier days and now Barcelona seem to be on the verge of registering an interest.
The French-born moved from Ligue 1 side Montpellier to Wolfsburg last summer for a fee of €8m and has a contract with the club until 2023.
Roussillon to Camp Nou: A good backup option
The 26-year-old is a versatile player who predominantly features as a fullback but possesses the ability to move up the pitch acting in a left midfield role or as a left winger. His direct running and pace make him a threat for the opposition players who find it hard to keep up with the Wolfsburg defender when he is in full flow.
The French international can become the understudy of Jordi Alba at Camp Nou who is 30 years of age and has lately shown signs of decline. Roussillon’s dribbling and crossing are two of the primary attributes which make him stand apart from the rest.
The 26-year-old is as good defensively as he is going forward which creates a balance in the most difficult position in the modern era. Roussillon had 9 goal contributions in 31 appearances across all competitions in the recently concluded season netting on 3 separate occasions which shows his offensive prowess as a fullback.
His concentration on the pitch is another factor why he can flourish in a team like Barca. The only downside to the Frenchmen’s game is his lack of ability to hold on to the ball as he loses possession way too cheaply. This aspect of his game can hinder the Blaugrana club in difficult situations and is one of the many important things one must have in his locker to excel at the Catalan club.
But playing with these highly technical and competitive players will help him hone his skills fast and speed up his growth process.
The likelihood of this being a relatively cheaper transfer overall will also be a positive as Barcelona have one of the heaviest wage bills in Europe. The player is expected to accept a back-up role in the team and can be used in the cup games to start off with which will give Jordi Alba some much-needed rest for the major games which Barca will inevitably be a part of.
Stat Courtesy: Transfermarkt
I hope Barcelona get red of trainer