Celta Vigo are ‘very interested’ in signing fan-favourite Barcelona midfielder | OneFootball

Riqui Puig’s time at Barcelona is approaching an end. The academy graduate, who had been tipped for a bright future, has failed to kick on at the first-team level and finds himself out of favour currently.

Having made his senior debut under Ernesto Valverde, Puig has been unable to convince any of the managers he has played under to give him an extended run in the side.

The 22-year-old has seen younger prospects like Pedri, Gavi and Nico Gonzalez move ahead of him in the pecking order of things. Now that Barcelona will also be signing Franck Kessie imminently, his standing within the roster is set to fall further.

So, it has become abundantly clear that Puig’s future is away from Barça. The Spaniard is one of the four players who have been asked not to turn up for the pre-season by manager Xavi Hernandez.

Now, Relevo is reporting that Puig does not have a shortage of suitors in the market this summer. It is claimed that Barcelona’s fellow La Liga club Celta Vigo are ‘very interested’ in signing the La Masia product in the summer window.

The Galician outfit are on the lookout for a replacement for a former Barcelona prospect, Denis Suarez, who is likely to move on this summer, amidst interest from Serie A giants Lazio.

And Puig has been identified as one of the targets for Celta to bolster their midfield unit ahead of the 2021/22 campaign.

The 22-year-old played just 17 times across all competitions last season for Barcelona, of which only just three were from the start. At this point, a parting of ways would be the best course of action for the club and the player.

With Celta Vigo showing serious interest in Puig, Barça will look to close the exit of the Spanish prospect at the earliest and free up more room on their wage bill.