According to Football Espana, F.C. Barcelona have made a final offer for Sao Paulo defender Douglas Pereira. The bid was made Friday and valued at 6 million euros. Now, the Catalan club wait on the President of Sao Paulo to respond.
He’s 24 years young, so Barcelona can still mold him into their style of play. Since Dani Alves seems to be staying for another season, Douglas can learn much from the experienced right-back. I am not going to pretend to know much of this player. So I took the liberty of using the magic of YouTube in order to catch a glimpse of the Barcelona’s prospect.
Of course, any video can make a player appear talented. But based on the videos I watched, Douglas can play as a left-back and right-back. Just as Dani Alves, Douglas moves high up to add offense to the play. If that’s the case, a lot of room will be left at the back of the Barcelona defense, leaving the team vulnerable to counter attacks. I cannot deduce nothing more from the video. Some media state that Douglas is not talented enough to be in Barcelona.
It is safe to say that if President Carlos Miguel Aidar accepts the offer, then Barcelona will no longer approach Juan Cuadrado, and fans will have to trust Barcelona’s scouts to have done their job well with Douglas. This is F.C. Barcelona. If they are approaching Sao Paulo for the player, the scouts must have seen something that caught their eye.
Football Espana is not the only website or media spreading the news; therefore, I give the rumor strength a 7 out of 10. In case Douglas lands in Barcelona, I do not know how much he will strengthen the team. The Brazilian has talent–surely. Yet, not all players fit into the system employed at the Camp Nou. Time will be needed to adapt to the system. I think Douglas would hardly help the team on his first season (3/10). But with little known, I feel Barcelona should stick to Martin Montoya and trust the La Masia graduate on the right flank. Why produce a player only to have him sit on the bench?
Sao Paulo are desperate for money. Rejecting Barcelona’s offer would be more surprising than the rumor itself. Also, an opportunity to play for the Spanish giants does not come everyday. Douglas will surly want Sao Paulo to make the move. There is a 70% chance that this transfer will occur. Negotiations for Cuadrado are not advancing, and all other right-backs are overpriced. Should Barcelona bring Douglas to the Camp Nou?
