Hansi Flick pulled the plug on Barcelona signing Euro 2024 standout performer | OneFootball

It’s no secret that Barcelona have been eyeing up a new defensive midfielder for some time now. However, their pursuit is currently playing second-fiddle to the ones for Dani Olmo, who is most likely to arrive at this stage, and Nico Williams, whom club officials are currently pessimistic about signing.

That hasn’t stopped sporting director Deco from looking into possible targets, and in recent weeks, N’Golo Kante is someone that Barcelona have been following. The 33-year-old, who was a standout performer for France at Euro 2024, is keen to leave Al-Ittihad this summer in favour of a return to Europe.

MD have reported that Deco recently put the wheels in motion for Barcelona to sign Kante on loan, but the operation was stopped by Hansi Flick. Flick prefers a younger profile to Kante, and he’s also betting on the players he already has at his disposal – including Marc Casado and Marc Bernal – for the time being.

Kante could have been a smart signing for Barcelona, especially if he were to arrive on a favourable financial package. However, Flick can’t be blamed for stopping the deal, as he’d only be another stop-gap signing for the Catalan giants. Still, with Oriol Romeu now gone, it could be something that is re-visited later in the month.