Tata’s Barca shopping list revealed?
A list of possible transfer targets drawn up by Barcelona Coach Tata Martino has been revealed, reports in Spain claim.
Mundo Deportivo cite a story from ESPN Brazil that says Martino came up with the list in October and passed it to then President Sandro Rosell via an intermediary, with a view to making signings in the winter transfer window.
The window came and went without any arrivals to Camp Nou while Rosell himself stepped down to be replaced by Josep Maria Bartomeu due to the on-going Neymar case.
There are eight players on the list - four defenders, two midfielders and two strikers. Mundo Deportivo points out a goalkeeper isn’t included despite Victor Valdes’ departure being known as Borussia Monchengladbach’s Marc-Andre Ter Stegen was already on the agenda.
The defenders requested by Martino were Borussia Dortmund’s Neven Subotic, Botafogo youngster Doria, Atletico Madrid left back Filipe Luis and Santiago Vergini, the Estudiantes player since loaned to Sunderland.
In midfielder, Martino wanted either Dortmund’s Ilkay Gundogan or Atletico’s Arda Turan.
The two attackers named by the Coach were Miroslav Klose, Lazio’s experienced Germany international, and Sergio Aguero, Manchester City’s Argentina teammate of Lionel Messi.
Martino’s list has been annotated with the Atletico pair Luis and Turan marked ‘will not move’ and a note to find another left back. Mundo Deportivo adds Adriano has been linked with Liverpool.
A price for Doria is quoted - €7m - as is a fee for Subotic. The Bosnia-Herzegovina international was expected to cost €17m and two friendlies with Dortmund, which Mundo Deportivo argues is a sign negotiations had been held.
Subotic’s teammate, Gundogan, is marked out as costing €22m, but there is also a notation that Cesc Fabregas and Sergi Roberto ‘need more minutes.’
Aguero is given a similar price tag of a fee plus friendlies - €28m and two friendlies with City and a Barca B friendly.
Klose was expected to cost €2m and the 35-year-old was marked down as a short-term signing.
