Barcelona have been dealt a big transfer blow in their pursuit of Miralem Pjanic, as the Bosnian international is reportedly set to sign a new five-year deal with Juventus next week.
This is according to Don Balon, who note that Pjanic was a back-up target for Barca in case they missed out on Paul Pogba, and that it looks as if the club aren’t going to land either Pjanic or Pogba this summer.
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The report also notes that Pjanic’s new deal is set to see him take home €8M-a-year, a total that would see him become the third highest paid star in Italy.
This news will come as a big blow for Barca, who would’ve surely been hoping to see the Bosnian join their club and help them fill the void that was left by Andres Iniesta this summer.
The former Roma star has proven to be one of the best central midfielders in the world during his time in Turin, and certainly one of the best in Italy.
Although Barca have already brought in midfielders like Arthur Melo and Arturo Vidal this summer, acquiring Pjanic would’ve still given a serious boost to the quality they have available to them in the middle of the park.
It now seems as if the club are going to have to turn their attentions elsewhere following this news regarding Pjanic.