PSG set to secure Brazilian star Gabriel Moscardo, dealing blow to Barcelona's midfield plans

According to Joaquim Piera of SPORT, Paris Saint-Germain FC look set to seal the deal in the coming hours for the defensive midfielder, who shows great promise and has the potential to play regularly for the Brazilian national team.

Former Barcelona player Deco tried to block the Corinthians midfielder even before being appointed the club's sporting director. However, his attempts were unsuccessful. In recent months, as the top football executive at Barça, he continued his contacts, but his negotiation tactics have hit a dead end.

Initially, it seemed Barcelona might take advantage of Chelsea's indecision, as they presented two offers to Corinthians (the last one being €25 million). However, Corinthians rejected them due to the imminent presidential elections, which concluded with Augusto Melo winning the opposition.

Enter PSG, monitoring Moscardo for months. Their sporting director, Luis Campos, a renowned figure in European football with strong ties to South America, convinced the Qatari leadership to make a move. Campos travelled to Sao Paulo to finalize the deal.

While this is a club-driven signing, Luis Enrique was consulted, and given the quality of the Brazilian player, he approved the operation. There is already a salary agreement between the player, who views the PSG option favourably for his European debut, and the French club.

The next step, expected to be completed this week, is determining the transfer fee. Negotiations between the two clubs are underway, with the sale value hovering around €25 million.

PSG have a sporting plan for Moscardo, who has been in the elite for less than six months. Initially, he will continue growing at Corinthians until the middle of next year.

The question remains whether the young midfielder will make a direct leap to Luis Enrique's team or be loaned to further develop and mature in European football.

Meanwhile, Barcelona lose one of their options to reinforce a critical position in midfield, where the current squad have only one specialist, Oriol Romeu.

 

Read More: Inigo Martinez injury hits Barcelona: Defender sidelined until 2024 (planetsport.com)