Man Utd and Liverpool alerted as Barcelona scout Serie A trio

Jordan Russell (@JordRuss96)
12 dic 2017

Following Torino’s 3-1 win against Lazio last night, most of the headlines in the aftermath have concerned the use of VAR. However, it should not go unnoticed that Barcelona directors Robert Fernandez and Urbano Ortega were in the Stadio Olimpico, keeping an eye on three players in particular.

According to Mundo Deportivo, the Blaugrana representatives were there to scout Stefan de Vrij, Sergej Milinković-Savić and Andrea Belotti.

The Dutch centre-back has still not renewed his contract with Lazio, despite the fact it is due to expire next summer. The ex-Feyenoord man wants to insert a €30 million release clause to facilitate a possible transfer away from the Rome-based club. Barça are looking for Javier Mascherano’s replacement, with the Argentine set to move to the Chinese Super League.

At the moment, Milinković-Savić and Belotti are merely ideas. They are not concrete objectives like de Vrij is. They are both in Robert’s notebook, filed under ideas he could revisit further down the line. The Serbian would give strength and substance to a midfield which requires a generational shift, while Belotti would enrich an attack which, at the moment, only has two certainties in it.