Barcelona reportedly sent Robert Fernandez, the club’s technical secretary, to watch Fabian Schar in Switzerland’s World Cup qualifier against Andorra.
According to Mundo Deportivo, the 24-year-old central defender was top of the agenda for the Catalan giants in the game, despite previous links with Stephan Lichtsteiner.
The Juventus star is said to want to leave Juventus having fallen behind Dani Alves in the pecking order in Turin, and in turn has been linked with a switch to Spain.
However, he wasn’t behind the decision to send Fernandez, with Schar the subject of his assignment with the Hoffenheim defender now seemingly on Barca’s transfer wish list.
Mundo Deportivo add that it isn’t the first time that the Swiss international has appeared on the Catalan giants’ radar, but a transfer didn’t previously go through as Barca decided that it wasn’t the right move for them.
However, having now moved to the Bundesliga and showcased his aerial prowess coupled with his ability to play out from the back, he has unsurprisingly emerged as a candidate for the La Liga champions next year.
Schar has made four appearances in all competitions for Hoffenheim so far this season, and would be a welcome addition to a Barca squad that is still short in the defensive department.
Gerard Pique, Samuel Umtiti, Jeremy Mathieu and Javier Mascherano continue to fill the centre-half positions for Luis Enrique, but given the age of the latter two at 32, they will need to consider options for the future and it seems as though Schar is in contention to make the move to the Nou Camp.