Ernesto Valverde Eyeing Three Stars To Bolster Barcelona Line-Up
REUTERS/Albert Gea
Newly appointed Barcelona manager Ernesto Valverde is eyeing three world-class players as he begins to revamp the club’s line-up.
Valverde, who was named Barca’s new manager on Tuesday following Luis Enrique’s departure, is said to be already pursuing players from Premier League giants Manchester United and Arsenal, along with former club Athletic Bilbao, ahead of the summer transfer window.
As per reports from Spanish news outlet OK Diario, the Spanish duo of Ander Herrera and Hector Bellerin, along with Bilbao’s Aymeric Laporte, are the three big stars that the new Blaugrana boss wishes to add to his squad for the 2017/18 season.
Reuters / Jason Cairnduff
Both Herrera and Laporte have played under Valverde at Bilbao, and are quite aware of the Spaniard’s tactics. Herrera was part of the 53-year-old’s side at San Mamés stadium for a season before he landed in England, and Laporte has been a mainstay of Valverde’s defence during the latter’s time with Bilbao.
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Bellerin, a Barcelona youth product, has also been consistently mooted with a move back to his home country.
Reuters / Benoit Tessier
Obtaining the signature of Laporte and Bellerin, however, may prove to be a tough task for Barca, as their current deals run until June 2020 and June 2023 respectively.
Meanwhile, Herrera has become a vital part of Jose Mourinho’s line-up at Manchester United after some scintillating performances for the Red Devils, and is likely to stay in the Premier League.
Nonetheless, if Valverde wishes to sign any of his top three targets, the Spanish manager will most definitely have to take out some extra cash to do so.
Written by Sidharth Jindal 
Sports fanatic with a passion for writing (predominantly football) and “Wants to live life to its fullest.” Writes about the Premier League on his personal blog.