FC Barcelona Annoy Lionel Messi As Club Decides Not To Sign ‘Next Ozil’: Report

FC Barcelona reportedly have angered skipper Lionel Messi after they decided not to sign a player, who is termed as the “next Ozil.”

Aleksei Miranchuk, who currently plays for Lokomotiv Moscow in the Russian Premier League, is an attacking midfielder and his versatile nature on the pitch has drawn comparison to Arsenal’s star player, Mesut Ozil. He usually plays in the center of the park but occasionally, he has also come handy as a forward for both Moscow and the Russian national team, with whom he has played in 25 matches, scoring five goals.

The 24-year-old midfielder has been associated with the Moscow-based club since 2013, finding the back of the net 34 times in as many as 212 appearances, across competitions. The player came in the limelight of the European clubs in the Champions League this season.

This was only the third time Moscow played in the Champions League and they were pitted with the likes of Juventus, Atletico Madrid and Bayer Leverkusen in Group D, where they finished last. Out of the six group games, Moscow managed to win one – a 2-0 win in their opening encounter that was against Leverkusen.

While Miranchuk did not score in that match, he scored in both the fixtures against Juventus, a club that had the likes of Cristiano Ronaldo, Higuain and Paulo Dybala. He performed well, creating chances for his teammates in the other games. Apart from his impressive performances, his transfer fee of just $16m has caught the eyes of the European giants including Barcelona. Earlier, Spanish outlet Don Balon has reported the 24-year-old Russian was on his way to Nou Camp, while he had other Spanish clubs such as Seville and Real Betis chasing him ahead of the summer transfer window.

Miranchuk is known for his passing skills and he is usually seen breaking defenses with ease and these qualities are an asset for a club like Barcelona who endorse an attacking form of soccer.

However, it was recently reported that Barcelona chief, Josep Maria Bartomeu and Co have decided against the Russian striker’s signing as they believe the club needs a more experienced player at this stage. Meanwhile, Messi is believed to be convinced that Miranchuk is ready to join Nou Camp.