Arsenal, Liverpool among clubs competing with Barcelona for Serie A midfielder | OneFootball

Photo by GABRIEL BOUYS/AFP via Getty Images

As the current season comes to an end, FC Barcelona will have the opportunity to identify the weaknesses that their team suffered from this season and look for options to strengthen these areas.

In this regard, one of the positions that is quite high on the club’s priority to reinforce is that of the midfield pivot. This is one of the clearest weaknesses in the Catalan club’s squad, and the Blaugranes have been linked with several players to reinforce this position.

One such player that Barcelona are keeping an eye on is Ederson dos Santos, the 24-year-old midfielder currently playing for the Italian side, Atalanta. The midfielder is shining in his second season with the Italian club, and according to Mundo Deportivo, has several European clubs following him closely.

These sides include five from the Premier League; Arsenal, Tottenham, Liverpool, Newcastle United, and Manchester United; another two from the Italian Serie A; AC Milan and Inter Milan; and two from Spain; Barcelona and Atletico Madrid.

All of these clubs are interested in the midfielder, who is expected to command a fee around the €50 million mark in the coming summer window, especially as his contract still has two years to go before expiry.

But the Brazilian deserves this fee, as he has clearly shown with Atalanta that he is prepared to take the next step in his career and join a side competing for the UEFA Champions League.

He shines particularly in positional play, but also is very effective when making runs into the box from the midfield. His coverage of a large area of space and precise crosses also make him a highly attractive target for all these interested clubs.

But this competition might make things complicated for Barcelona, as the Catalans cannot afford to enter into a bidding war with these big clubs, especially with their already weak finances.