Gerard Pique set to meet with Barcelona chiefs.
Barcelona central defender Gerard Pique could be set to move a step closer to leaving the Nou Camp in January, with the Mirror reporting that Pique is set for crisis talks with the club’s management after Pique clashed with manager Luis Enrique.
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Pique has been strongly linked with a move to either Manchester United or Chelsea during the January transfer window, potentially returning to the Premier League as a much finer footballer than he was when he departed Old Trafford for Barcelona after never really being given a chance to establish himself by Sir Alex Ferguson.
The Spanish international centre back has not been an automatic pick at the heart of defence since Luis Enrique joined the club as manager from La Liga rivals Celta Vigo in the summer, with the report suggesting that Enrique has already decided that he is happy to see Pique leave the Nou Camp – a viewpoint not shared by those in the corridors of power at the club.
Manchester United are in desperate need of defensive reinforcement after a lack of summer strengthening and multiple injuries have left the likes of teenager Paddy McNair having to fill in for senior colleagues in the heart of the United back four – whilst Chelsea are having to look for a long term replacement for John Terry, despite his fine partnership with Gary Cahill.