What’s the story?
Ernesto Valverde is set to be unveiled by Barcelona tomorrow, but he is already making plans for the summer. The new manager has named the top 3 targets for the transfer window according to OK Diario.
The three players he has reportedly named are Aymeric Laporte of Athletic Bilbao, Andre Herrera of Manchester United and Hector Bellerin of Arsenal. He wants the board to sign these players at any cost this transfer window.
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Also read: 5 things you didn't know about Barcelona's new manager Ernesto Valverde
In case you didn’t know...
Ernesto Valverde has been announced as the successor of Luis Enrique at Barcelona. The 53-year-old left Bilbao after four years to take charge at Camp Nou.
This is not the first time Barcelona offered him the job. He was offered on three occasions previously, but he rejected all of them.
They wanted him to replace Pep Guardiola but rejected the approach, and they appointed Tito Vilanova instead. When Vilanova's health started deteriorating, he was offered the role again.
He again rebuffed the interest and Barcelona went on to appoint Tata Martino - who was sacked after a year. The Catalan side again approached Valverde, but as he had just committed to Bilbao, he did not accept their offer.
The heart of the matter
Valverde has a connection with two of his top 3 targets while the other is a La Masia product. This is the main reason why he wants to sign the players.
Andre Herrera was coached by the manager at Bilbao before he moved to Manchester United. He is seen as the ideal addition to his midfield for next season, and also a successor to Andres Iniesta.
Aymeric Laporte worked by Valverde for four years at Bilbao, and the manager wants him to join Barcelona. The French defender is highly rated and is a target for several clubs including Real Madrid and Manchester City.
Hector Bellerin is a former La Masia product and is the board's #1 choice for a right-back this summer. While the name of Joao Cancelo has also come up, it's the Arsenal star who is the front runner right now.
What’s next?
Barcelona will try and negotiate with the clubs to seek and sign all the three players this summer. They are keen on getting their new manager all the players he wants so that he can win the league and also guide to Champions League glory soon.
Author’s Take
The targets Valverde has in mind are realistic and not big names. It shows the maturity of the manager to go for players he needs rather than just trying to sign big name players because he is at a big club now.
