Barcelona president Joan Laporta confirms club are looking to make Edgar Davids-style signing in January

Barcelona president Joan Laporta has revealed that his club are aiming to snap up a midfielder on loan, akin to Edgar Davids' arrival in the past, next January.

The Blaugrana, who splashed just €3.4 million earlier this summer, are believed to be on the hunt for a midfielder following Gavi's long-term anterior cruciate ligament injury. They are allegedly €130 million over their wage limit, but could recruit a few stars due to some savings.

Speaking to Spanish news agency EFE, Laporta asserted that Barcelona are keen to make a Davids-style signing in the winter transfer window. He said (h/t Football Espana):

"If we manage to have 'Fair Play', the idea is to have a midfielder who in some way compensates for Gavi's loss. It would be a loan until the end of the season, like many years ago we did with Edgar Davids, for example."

Claiming that his club have some funds available, Laporta continued:

"We have margin, I think that until the end of the year we can generate 'Fair Play' due to a series of operations that we have underway and if they are confirmed, we would have options."

Laporta, who oversaw Davids' arrival on loan in January 2004, added:

"If we meet the budget, which is very ambitious, we could go to the market with the guarantees of carrying out operations that do not involve personal guarantees from the directors and it would be a matter of being able to sign normally."

Davids, who represented Netherlands 74 times during his career, joined Barcelona on a temporary deal from Juventus. He recorded a goal and an assist in 20 overall appearances for the Blaugrana, helping them finish second in the 2003-04 La Liga standings behind Valencia.

AC Milan express interest in Barcelona star Clement Lenglet, reveals Fabrizio Romano

In his column for Caught Offside, transfer journalist Fabrizio Romano revealed that AC Milan are interested in signing Barcelona defender Clement Lenglet. He wrote:

"Nothing is close to being signed regarding the future of Lenglet but I have reported that AC Milan have asked for information on the player, that's it for the moment. The club wanted to be informed so let's see what they decide to do. Of course, the deal would be made with Barcelona and not with Aston Villa, but it's still early stages."

Lenglet, who left Sevilla to move to the Catalan club for €36 million in 2018, joined Aston Villa on a season-long loan move in the summer. The 28-year-old has made five appearances for Villa so far this term.

Overall, Lenglet has featured in 160 matches for the Camp Nou outfit.