ROMANO: Barca and Juve after Vrsaljko, Braida spotted at Sassuolo
Of course, Braida returns to Italy often, and not just to talk about Paul Pogba, either. Though he has plenty of old friends at Sassuolo, his presence wasn’t a coincidence, as weren't those of Felipe Anderson, Domenico Berardi… and especially Sime Vrsaljko.
The young Croatian winger/full-back has been in Barcelona’s sights since he was close to moving Inter from Dinamo Zagreb. Still very young and playing well for his country, the 23-year-old is seen as a possible target for the next transfer window, though in truth Barcelona are thinking about next season.
With Dani Alves likely leaving the Nou Camp at the end of the campaign, the Blaugrana would need a reactive player who can be of use to Luis Enrique.
Things, however, aren’t as simple as they seem. As we’ve written before, Juventus still in pole position in the Vrsaljko sweepstakes. Whilst Los Culés have merely scouted the Croatian international, Giuseppe Marotta and Fabio Paratici have already established a good rapport both with player (who likes the idea of moving to Turin) and club. The Bianconeri are hoping to make a move for Berardi after adding Simone Zaza from the Emilians during the summer.
It’s likely that any eventual negotiations over Vrsaljko will be smoother than in Berardi’s case, too, as the Bianconeri are looking to boost that troublesome right flank of theirs in light of Stefan Lichtesteiner’s absence.
The Old Lady's interest in the former Genoa player is indisputable: having seen Napoli crash and burn in talks and opt for Elseid Hysaj of Empoli instead, the Turinese outfit have kept their eye on the prize throughout, hoping to be able to make a break for it. With Barca on the horizon, they may have to hurry up…
