Despite their neverending financial woes, Barcelona seem determined to catch up to Real Madrid by readying their own targets in response to Los Blancos’ pursuit of Kylian Mbappe. According to multiple reports, the Blaugrana are currently plotting to sign two players of different profiles to further bolster their squad.
Barcelona have had a woeful 2022-23 season, failing to build a competent title defense this term. Having bowed out of the Copa del Rey and the Supercopa de Espana, the Catalan outfit currently languish in third place in the league, eight points behind leaders Real Madrid.
With rumors of Kylian Mbappe’s transfer to Madrid steadily gaining momentum, Barcelona have the impossible task of matching their arch-rivals in terms of squad quality. To further strengthen their squad and challenge Los Blancos, the reigning Spanish champions have decided to set their sights on two transfer targets, as reported by El Nacional.
The first name on their list is Manchester City‘s Bernardo Silva. The five-time Champions League winners have been long-time admirers of the Portuguese superstar and could finally make a move for his signature in the upcoming summer.
While a lack of funds has always curtailed Barcelona‘s pursuit of Silva, the supposed inclusion of a €65m release clause in his new contract could signal a new opportunity for the Spanish giants. Another player who seemingly finds himself on Barca’s radar is 25-year-old defensive midfielder Martin Zubimendi.
Xavi has publicly expressed his desire to have Zubimendi in his team due to the Spaniard’s versatile style of play and his impressive control over the game’s tempo. The Blaugrana are yet to find a successor to Sergio Busquets’ throne, having tried and failed with the experimental signing of Oriol Romeu.
While Real Madrid’s finances would easily allow them to secure Kylian Mbappe‘s signature, the picture at Camp Nou is drastically different. Consequently, the Catalonia-based club will have to sanction some valuable departures to land their desired transfer targets.
Real Madrid and Barcelona have shared a combined 19 La Liga titles this century
The two arch-rivals have managed to establish a duopoly in Spain, with Madrid and Barca bagging a total of 35 and 27 La Liga titles, respectively. Their dominance only seems to have grown recently, with the two sides missing out on the top spot on just four occasions since 2000.
Since the commencement of the 2000-01 season, Barcelona have managed to secure the league title 11 times, as compared to Real Madrid‘s eight wins. Only Atletico Madrid and Valencia have been able to break the two giants’ supremacy, bagging two titles each.
However, a surprise third entry could soon enter the picture, with minnows Girona currently battling the two sides for a shot at the title. Neighbors to Barcelona, Girona have managed to amass an impressive 56 points this term and trail leaders Real Madrid by a slender margin of two points.
The high-flying Gironistes are set to face Los Merengues in their next league match, in what could turn out to be a title-deciding clash.
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