Double swoop: Barcelona optimistic over signing pair due to important advantage

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Barcelona are reportedly quite confident about signing Miralem Pjanic and Lautaro Martinez as both players are said to be determined to play for the Catalan giants and aren’t listening to other proposals.

The reigning La Liga champions appear to be in a strong position to end the current campaign with more major trophies to show for their efforts as they lead the way in the league by two points, while they have an away-goal advantage in their round-of-16 Champions League tie with Napoli.

In turn, it would appear as though coach Quique Setien has a strong squad at his disposal already, but naturally there are specific areas which can be improved.

The defence would arguably be the top priority as with Gerard Pique turning 34 next year coupled with Samuel Umtiti’s ongoing injury troubles, it doesn’t leave a lot of quality depth alongside Clement Lenglet and youngster Ronald Araujo.

Nevertheless, that isn’t where a reinforcement is being linked, as Marca note that Barcelona have focused their attention Pjanic and Martinez to strengthen their midfield and attack respectively.

While Pjanic has pulled the strings for Juventus in their recent success, Martinez has impressed this season for Inter as he’s bagged 16 goals and four assists in 31 appearances.

In turn, both would be smart acquisitions, and Marca add that Barcelona are optimistic about signing them both as it’s noted that the pair have made it clear that they want to move to the Camp Nou and aren’t interested in any other alternative options.

As far as Pjanic is concerned, that was backed up by Mundo Deportivo on Friday, and so it certainly would appear as though Barcelona hold a real advantage over any rivals for their signatures.

That said, it doesn’t guarantee that agreements will be reached with the clubs in question, as the Catalan giants are said to still be trying to find a compromise involving player swap deals.

Nevertheless, Marca end their report by suggesting that Barcelona believe they will seal a double signing in the end, and the players will ultimately get their wish of making the move that they are prioritising.

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