Given the economic situation that they are facing, Barcelona have been forced to continue looking for market opportunities and bargains in order to strengthen their roster.
Over the past couple of summer windows, the Blaugrana have brought in several free-agent signings and the trend is set to continue next year as well.
There have already been strong links to the likes of N’Golo Kante, Inigo Martinez and Jorginho, all of whom will see their contracts expire at the end of the season.
Now, according to reports in Belgium, as relayed by Mundo Deportivo, Barcelona have set their sights on Standard Liege contract rebel Nicolas Raskin as a potential recruit for 2023.
The 21-year-old started at the Standard Liege academy and had stints with the youth setups at RSC Anderlecht and KAA Gent before returning to Liege in 2019. Since then he has grown into a key part of the team, racking up 96 appearances in which he has five goals and 13 assists.
Raskin had been in good form this season, racking up a goal and four assists from 18 appearances across all competitions, which are impressive numbers considering he has played as a No. 8 or a No. 6.
However, the 21-year-old is out of contract at the end of the season and has refused to sign a new deal. As a result, he has been relegated to the subsidiaries by Standard Liege, with an exit now on the horizon.
The midfielder will not be allowed to return to the first-team setup until he agrees to sign a new deal, which is looking unlikely at this point. So, there is a solid chance that Raskin will leave as a free agent in the summer of 2023.
There is also a possibility that he would leave for a nominal fee in January itself and Barcelona are said to be one of the clubs interested in such a move
There is also a possibility that he would leave for a nominal fee in January itself and Barcelona are said to be one of the clubs interested in such a move.
As iterated earlier, the Blaugrana are looking for bargains and free transfer opportunities. And Raskin, given his immense potential, could be an interesting investment for Barça on a cheap fee in January.
But they will likely face competition from the likes of Leeds United, Fiorentina, and Olympique Marseille while Club Brugge are also said to be keen and best-placed to sign Raskin.