Laporta Targets Karim Benzema And Cesc Fabregas

Barcelona president Joan Laporta has given a glimpse of his future plans for the club as recent reports suggest that he is after two of Europe’s most sought after young guns.

As Barcelona’s arch nemesis Real Madrid stagger about hastily and desperately to sign players in the January trade period to bolster their injury-plagued squad, the Blaugrana are also eager to get themselves into the transfer spotlight. But they are taking a more placid approach.

The Catalan giants’ own media mouthpiece, Sport have reported that Barca president, Joan Laporta is already thinking ahead to the future to assemble a young squad of players to complement the veterans currently in the team.

It is believed that the supremo has made Arsenal midfielder, Cesc Fabregas and Olympique Lyonnais striker, Karim Benzema, both 21 years of age, his prime targets for next season.

With players like Xavi, Carles Puyol, Thierry Henry, Samuel Eto’o, Rafael Marquez either approaching or already in their 30’s, Laporta wants to ensure that there are enough young players to continually carry the club forward as well as superstars who will be able to provide the kind of spectacular football the team are showcasing now.

Cesc is seen as the perfect long-term deputy for Xavi when he finally retires, while Benzema would step in to replace Henry first and eventually Eto’o as well.

Despite a glut of outrageous young talents already in the squad, including Messi (21 years old), Iniesta (23), Busquets (20) Bojan (18) and Pique (21), Barcelona are eager to land both Cesc and Benzema sooner rather than later.

The only issue for the Blaugrana is the exorbitant transfer fees they will have to dish out for the duo. Cesc is currently valued at an estimated €30 million, a figure that both Laporta and technical director, Txiki Begiristain are unwilling to even consider paying, especially for a player that they produced in their own backyard just a few years ago.

As such, Barcelona’s only hope of seeing the Arsenal man make a return to the Camp Nou would be for the player himself to demand an exit from the Emirates, an unlikely scenario at present seeing as the midfielder had only just pledged his future to the Gunners.