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According to reports, Barcelona are interested in snapping up Watford left-back Pervis Estupinan.
This has emerged as a shock pursuit for a player who has never managed to play for the Hornets' senior setup owing to loan spells across Spain. Barcelona are considering signing the full-back for cheap following the club's relegation.
The Catalan giants have reportedly joined Chelsea and Tottenham Hotspur in the race for his signature. Apparently, they were impressed with his exploits during loan spells at Mallorca and Osasuna.
Despite having experienced an upturn in fortunes after Nigel Pearson's arrival, Watford faced the wrath of relegation. This came after they axed the former Leicester City boss just two games before the season's conclusion.
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Estupinan's defensive prowess and dynamism in attack could be beneficial for Barcelona
The Hornets are now set to sell a host of first-team stars to free up their wage bill following relegation. Some of the players expected to leave are Ismaila Sarr, Abdoulaye Doucoure, and former Barcelona man Gerard Deulofeu among others.
And now Estupinan has emerged as a shock target for Barcelona. The Ecuadorian was picked up by Watford back in 2016 and has since gained experience through numerous loan spells.
Estupinan was loaned out to Granada B in 2016 before moving to UD Almeria in 2017 in another loan deal. A third loan spell followed at RCD Mallorca in 2018, whom he helped gain promotion.
This season, Estupinan caught the eye with his performances for Osasuna and made an impressive 36 appearances for them. The 22-year-old is regarded as one of the finest young full-backs in Spain for a variety of reasons.
Estupinan is a flamboyant, assertive presence on the pitch when he ventures forward. He supplies real width to the attack, stretching the opposition defence before finding spaces in behind or inside the six-yard box.
Extremely gifted with the ball, the Barcelona target finished third in LaLiga for completed take-ons, while his dribbling nous is a treat to watch.
Defensively, he is known to cover ground quickly, maintain composure in one-versus-one situations, and win aerial battles.
Barcelona could benefit from his dynamic style of play, as they continue to search for defensive reinforcements in the transfer market.
While Barcelona are rocked by the COVID-19 pandemic, they are aiming to strengthen the squad to forge a challenge next season for the LaLiga crown.
Barcelona will, however, need to get rid of the wages of Philippe Coutinho and a couple of other players if they are to conduct business in this window.
A comprehensive 3-1 victory (4-2 on aggregate) over Napoli in the second of the Champions League Round of 16 fired Barcelona to the last eight. There, they are set to face off against Bayern Munich in a blockbuster fixture. That match is slated to take place on August 14.
