Barcelona are considering a shock bid for Manchester United
utility man John O'Shea.
The European champions have been looking for cover on the right
side of defence since last summer and see the Republic of Ireland
international as someone who could be useful in a number of
positions.
Barca failed to land Emmanuel Eboue or Bacary Sagna from Arsenal
before the start of the season and have lined up either O'Shea, who
is currently sidelined until March, or highly rated Spain Under 21
defender Cesar Azpilicueta as alternatives.
Shock switch: John O'Shea has been linked with a
summer move to Barcelona
Osasuna's attacking full-back Azpilicueta is likely to be Pep
Guardiola's first choice, but Barca would face competition from
Arsenal, Manchester City and Real Madrid for the 20-year-old.
Arsenal's Cesc Fabregas and Bayern Munich's Franck Ribery are
top targets for the European champions this summer.
Top target: Barcelona are eager to land the
services of Arsenal skipper Fabregas
But dealmaker Txiki Begiristain, the club's technical secretary,
has drawn up a list of other options that would put Barca in
competition with a number of Premier League sides this summer.
Benfica star Angel di Maria is an alternative to Ribery, but the
22-year-old Argentina international has also attracted interest
from Manchester City and Chelsea.
Versatile Valencia midfielder David Silva is also on their hit
list, but Real Madrid, Manchester United and Liverpool are also
keen on the 24-year-old Spain international.
