Barcelona to make surprise move for former player who hasn't featured in a single game this season

Barcelona have reportedly identified three January transfer targets, including a La Masia graduate, as they look to replace the injured Gavi.

Gavi will miss the rest of the 2023/24 campaign after he suffered a season-ending ACL injury during Spain's Euro 2024 qualifier against Georgia.

The 19-year-old, a first-team regular at the Catalan giants, has been a revelation since being handed his debut by Ronald Koeman, just 24 days after his 17th birthday.

But the Spanish side must cope without one of their standout performers in the coming months; something Barcelona president Joan Laporta is all too aware of.

"If we manage to make the (financial) fair play work, the idea is to have another midfielder to compensate for the loss of Gavi," he said last month.

"It would be a loan until the end of the season, like we did years ago with Edgar Davids, for example. I think before the end of the year we can create the space for a couple of deals we are working on."

So who will they sign? It appears Barca are keen on luring Thiago Alcantara to the Nou Camp – a decade after he left to join Bayern Munich.

The Spaniard has yet to play a single minute across all competitions this season through injury but he remains at the top of Xavi's shortlist, according to The Mirror.

In fact, with six months remaining on his current deal at Anfield, the midfielder is eligible to secure a pre-contract agreement with foreign clubs.

Jurgen Klopp, meanwhile, wants Thiago to stay to help Liverpool in their bid to challenge for this season's Premier League title. They currently sit top, three points ahead of second-place Aston Villa.

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Atletico Madrid and Real Sociedad are also interested in bringing Thiago to La Liga, according to Fichajes, but a move to his old stomping ground could prove too good to turn down.

The 32-year-old made 68 appearances for Barcelona between 2009 and 2013, scoring seven goals.

Barca boss Xavi is also keen on signing Tottenham midfielder Giovani Lo Celso and Guido Rodriguez, who has made over 150 appearances for Real Betis.