Barcelona will reportedly return for RB Leipzig attacker Dani Olmo in the January transfer window after seeing a £50million offer for him rejected on transfer deadline day.
The Catalan giants are in transition and have targeted young players with the potential to grow under manager Ronald Koeman. Due to their well documented financial crisis, they couldn’t extend club legend Lionel Messi’s contract, who left the Camp Nou to join Paris Saint-Germain on a free transfer in August, and made a deal with Atletico Madrid for the loan and eventual purchase of Antoine Griezmann on the deadline day.
As a replacement for Antoine Griezmann, the LaLiga side signed striker Luuk De Jong from Sevilla on a season-long loan in the final hours of the deadline day.
Now, according to Spanish outlet Mundo Deportivo, Barcelona will revive their interest in Dani Olmo when the transfer window re-opens in a few months’ time, with the player keen to leave RB Leipzig having reportedly agreed on a five-year deal with the LaLiga giants.
Dani Olmo, 23, spent seven years in the Barcelona academy before heading to Dinamo Zagreb in 2015 and then sealing a switch to RB Leipzig in January 2020. The Spaniard has performed very well for Leipzig, netting eight goals and producing 11 assists in 44 Bundesliga games so far.
Following his strong displays in the Bundesliga, he was called up to the Spanish national team for the European Championships, where he played five times. With Barcelona set to attempt bringing Olmo back to the club, here’s how the playmaker could fit into Ronald Koeman’s side.
Dani Olmo to Barcelona—How will he fit in?
What a tumultuous summer transfer window it panned out to be for Barcelona, who lost the world’s greatest player Lionel Messi for nothing to Paris Saint-Germain, after being unable to afford his wages, and also had to give up on the likes of Antoine Griezmann, Ilaix Moriba, Junior Firpo, Emerson Royal and Francisco Trincao among few others after horrific mismanagement over the last few years.
Despite clearing the deck, the Catalan club found themselves in such a grim financial situation that they had to ask a few senior players to take further wage cuts just so they could register summer signings Memphis Depay, Sergio Aguero and Eric Garcia.
Now that the dust has settled, and looking at things practically, Ronald Koeman has to get Barcelona back to winning the LaLiga title. The Dutchman’s side have started the new season well, winning seven points out of a possible nine.
In Pedri, Sergio Busquets, Frenkie de Jong, Miralem Pjanic, Riqui Puig and Sergio Roberto, Barcelona do have some talented players as well as seasoned campaigners that can hold their own in midfield. However, the departures of Messi and Griezmann means Koeman’s side could struggle with creativity and flair to open up rigid defences. Philippe Coutinho and Ansu Fati are capable of splitting open defences but they haven’t played competitive football following their long injury layoffs.
Dani Olmo, in that regard, could be a very good addition to this Barcelona side. The Spanish international is an attacking midfielder by trade but is capable of playing in multiple roles, either out wide on both wings, or as a false 9 or in a deeper role in midfield.
This will allow Depay and Braithwaite to keep their positions at no.9 and on the left wing respectively, while Dani Olmo can operate through the middle and combine with them. Olmo is a clever, energetic technician who has the ability to spot a pass, exploit spaces behind the opposition backline, as well as score crucial goals.
The Spaniard is an exciting player and is at the right age to make the step up from Leipzig to Barcelona. Olmo could thrive under Koeman and be a key figure of his rebuild at Camp Nou should Barcelona agree a fee for him with Leipzig in January.