The Catalan club has been touted as being in second place behind Chelsea in the hunt to sign Fenerbahce centre-back Attila Szalai, who the Turkish club value at €20m.

At the moment, Chelsea is dominating the battle to sign Fenerbahce midfielder Attila Szalai during the January transfer window, according to a report from Spanish website Fichajes. Fenerbahce is also interested in the Hungarian centre-back, which is valued at €20m and is currently on loan from FC Budapest.

Attila Szalai joined Fenerbahce from Apollon Limassol in the January transfer window earlier this year, and he has progressed tremendously in his short time with the club. The 23-year-old is a regular for both club and country, and he made an impression on Hungary at UEFA Euro 2020. He has also made an impact on Fenerbahce this season.

Several teams are interested in signing him, with Barcelona and Chelsea among those that are after him

So far this season, the Hungarian centre-back has made a total of 18 appearances in all competitions for his country. Although it has only been a year since Szalai joined Fenerbahce, current rumours suggest that the midfielder may be on his way out of Turkey’s second-tier team. Several teams are interested in signing him, with Barcelona and Chelsea among those that are after him.

Barcelona’s interest is understandable, given that Samuel Umtiti is no longer required at the Camp Nou, and that Clement Lenglet has slid down the pecking order and may be released by the club in the near future, according to the club’s website. Due to the fact that Gerard Pique is nearing the end of his career, Barcelona must recruit a centre-back, making Szalai an attractive option.

What is in store in Szalai’s future?

Chelsea, on the other hand, finds themselves in a difficult position over the future of Antonio Rudiger, who seems no closer to agreeing to a new contract with the club. Because the Blues’ current contract with the German international expires next summer, they must be on the hunt for prospective replacement possibilities, which explains their interest in Szalai.

The Spanish publication Fichajes claims that Chelsea is dominating the battle to sign Szalai, with Barcelona having yet to even take the necessary procedures to obtain the 23-year-old’s services. Szalai is valued at €20m, which is not an exorbitant sum in today’s market.

However, with numerous speculations indicating that Barcelona would only sign players on loan in January, it is clear why the club has been reticent to pursue Szalai at this time. In the meanwhile, it remains to be seen if Chelsea will be able to complete a €20m deal to sign the Hungarian centre-back during the January transfer window.

About The Player:

Szalai signed a four-and-a-half-year deal with Fenerbahçe on January 17, 2021, which will run through June 30, 2021. On January 25, 2021, he made his Fenerbahçe debut in a Süper Lig match against Kayserispor at the ükrü Saracolu Stadium, which Fenerbahçe won 3–0. It was his first appearance in the league for the club.

The goal came against Konyaspor on March 8, 2021, in the 29th game week of the 2020–21 Süper Lig season, at the Konya Büyükşehir Stadium, in his maiden season in the Süper Lig. Fenerbahçe S.K. won the match with a score of 3–0.