It looks as if Cesc Fabregas is not Barcelona’s only Premiership target this summer, with Newcastle left back José Enrique tipped to make the move to Camp Nou. Although reportedly wanted by Liverpool and Bayern Munich, Barcelona look set to steal a march on their rivals by placing a bid in the region of €10M.
Enrique joined Newcastle back in 2007, under then manager Sam Allardyce, but his form wavered throughout his first two seasons at the club, seasons which of course culminated in Newcastle’s relegation from the Premiership. Unlike many of their big name players however, Enrique stayed at the club, despite interest from the Premiership, and his good form led to him becoming an integral part of their promotion from the Championship.
Fresh from picking up the Newcastle player of the season award in the 2009-10 season, Enrique was now ready to test his skills once again in the Premiership. Having now matured into the player many predicted he could be when he moved to Newcastle as a 21-year old, his performances in the Premiership last season were consistently solid, with the Spaniard playing in all but two of Newcastle’s league games.
Although Barcelona may have welcomed back Eric Abidal following his fight with cancer, the Frenchman is not getting any younger, and has perhaps just one season left at the top. Despite reportedly being happy to stay on Tyneside, an offer from Barcelona would surely dwarf even those of Liverpool and Bayern, and would provide him with the best opportunity to move into contention for the Spanish left back position, an opportunity which Enrique may not be able to turn down.
