AS Roma coach José Mourinho is thinking of Riqui Puig to strengthen his selection, reports Sport. The 22-year-old Barcelona midfielder, who hardly appears in the plans under coach Ronald Koeman, is said to have to provide the Romans with a quality impulse, to allow them to ‘rejoin the top of the Serie A’.
Puig has come to a total of only 72 minutes in all competitions this season and there seems to be no prospect of improvement. Despite the fact that Koeman would regard the playmaker as a full member of the A-selection, he is still suffering from the stiff competition in midfield. During the previous transfer summer, Puig indicated that he still wanted to fight for his chances, but the current situation could have caused him to change his mind, the Spanish newspaper said.
Rumors that Koeman and Puig would not be able to get through a door, the Dutch coach referred to the trash can last September. He acknowledged that he spoke regularly with Puig about aspects of his game that could be improved, but that there was ‘no dislike’. “A central midfielder has to be very complete nowadays,” Koeman said Mundo Deportivo. “Both with and without the ball. That goes for all young players. And there is competition, because there are very good midfielders. To get chances, you have to be really good.”
Mourinho could offer the Spaniard, whose contract at the Camp Nou continues until the summer of 2023, a way out. The current number four in Serie A is not the only candidate for Puig. According to The Athletic Arsenal are also interested in signing him. The market value of the midfielder, who entered the Barcelona youth academy in 2014, is being increased by Transfermarkt currently estimated at fifteen million euros.
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