Barcelona had been previously rumored to be interested in Benfica midfielder Florentino Luis, who exploded onto the European scene in the Champions League last season after the departure of Enzo Fernández to Chelsea gave the 24-year-old an increased role for the Portuguese giants.
As is often the case with players linked with Barça there can be a lot of noise without any real substance, but it is different with Florentino. At least that’s according to the player’s agent, who confirmed this week that the Blaugrana were one of the teams to make contact to try and sign his client last summer, but Benfica blocked any potential move and considered the player not for transfer at the time.
But with the January transfer window approaching and Barça’s very clear need of reinforcements in the holding midfielder position thanks to Oriol Romeu’s underwhelming contributions since arriving in the summer, Florentino’s name is back on the agenda. It’s unclear if Benfica would be open to selling this time, but if they are then it is at least possible that Barça would try again to close a deal for a player well liked by the club’s decision-makers.
Florentino is likely to be way out of Barça’s price range considering the club’s financial situation and the interest from other big teams around Europe which will make this a tough bidding war for the Catalans to win, but it’s one to keep an eye on regardless.
