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Barcelona outcast Riqui Puig has been a subject of interest for Serie A giants Napoli, according to Spanish news outlet Fichajes.
The 22-year-old has become a forgotten figure at the Blaugrana after struggling to force his way into the side under both Ronald Koeman and Xavi.
He's accumulated only 363 minutes of action this season from 13 appearances in all competitions. With just under 18 months left on his contract, the Spaniard could leave Camp Nou this summer.
Several clubs have been linked with him but the Partenopei really want him in Naples as they're looking to replace Fabian Ruiz.
There have been a lot of uncertainties surrounding Ruiz's future at the Diego Armando Maradona Stadium as top guns like Barcelona, Juventus and PSG are all rumored to be courting him.
If he's indeed priced away, then it would leave a gaping void in their midfield, which Napoli feel someone like Puig could fill. He won't come too expensive either, with the Catalans expected to demand only about €10 million for his transfer.
They're looking for midfield reinforcements too, with Ajax star Ryan Gravenberch reportedly on their radar, so offloading Puig will give them the money to facilitate his signing.
Puig came through the ranks at Barcelona's youth academy La Masia after joining from Jabac Terrassa in 2013 before breaking into the senior team in 2018.
He quickly earned Ernesto Valverde and Quique Setien's faith but the last two-and-a-half years have been tough as Puig has been frozen out of the first-team squad.
Overall, the midfielder has made 52 appearances for the side, contributing three goals.
Barcelona are bracing for a summer of upheaval
Barcelona have improved massively in the last few weeks.
With the redevelopment project taking off under Xavi, the Catalans want to strengthen their squad further with new additions, while chopping off some of the deadwoods.
Puig isn't the only player on the verge of leaving as doubts remain over Ousmane Dembele's future too.
Samuel Umtiti may have signed an extension but given his poor injury record, the club would be willing to cut their losses by offloading him too.
On the other hand, Chelsea duo Andreas Christensen and Cesar Azpilicueta have both been linked with a transfer to the Camp Nou, with their current contracts expiring in June.
Aside from Gravenberch, Nicolas Tagliafico is another Ajax star on their radar.
