Transfer Talk: Premier League midfield trio on Barca's radar

Barcelona want to bolster their midfield in January — with the Premier League trio of Ruben Neves, Youri Tielemans and Jorginho topping their shortlist.

The Catalan giants spent big in the summer but find themselves on the verge of a Champions League group stage exit, having won just one of their opening four clashes.

And though Xavi’s men have been much improved in LaLiga, a 3-1 defeat at the Bernabeu last Sunday saw them slip three points behind bitter rivals Real Madrid in the title race.

Club chiefs are ready to back their 42-year-old coach with further reinforcements in the winter window and Mundo Deportivo suggest a deep-lying midfielder is his priority position.

Neves, 25, was expected to leave Wolves last summer and remains keen to test himself at one of Europe’s elite clubs.

Though his contract runs until 2024, his agent Jorge Mendes has supposedly told Barca a January deal is plausible, prompting the Blaugrana to assess the Portuguese international’s suitability.

Alternatively, Tielemans and Jorginho are both out of contract at the end of the current campaign, meaning cut-price deals could be on the cards.

Belgian international Tielemans, 25, scored the winning goal to help Leicester lift a maiden FA Cup in May 2021 but has become unsettled amid the Foxes' recent struggles.

Meanwhile, experienced Italian Jorginho, 30, is struggling to agree an extension with Chelsea and could prove a perfect fit for Xavi’s possession-based approach.

In other news

Chelsea are set to cut short the loan of Swiss international midfielder Denis Zakaria according to The Express, with the 25-year-old yet to play a single minute for the Blues since his summer move.

Erik ten Hag admits he has still not made a decision over the future of Manchester United goalkeeper David de Gea, report The Mirror.

Italian media say Juventus are ready to secure a loan move for Atletico Madrid’s Argentine midfielder Rodrigo De Paul, 28, in January.