Leeds United Offered Chance to Sign Barcelona's Riqui Puig on Loan
By Tom Gott
Exclusive - Leeds United are one of several sides who have been offered the chance to sign Barcelona midfielder Riqui Puig on loan for the remainder of the season.
The 21-year-old is seen by many as one of the brightest talents to have emerged from La Masia in years, but he continues to struggle for minutes in the senior side.
New boss Ronald Koeman has handed Puig just three minutes of action all season, while he only managed five league starts last season, and sources have confirmed to 90min that the Spaniard's agent is keen to find him a temporary new home in January to ensure his career does not stagnate.
Puig does not want to leave permanently and give up on his dream of making it at Camp Nou, and conversations with team-mate Lionel Messi have also encouraged the midfielder to keep trying. Koeman is not seen as the long-term manager at Barcelona, and Puig expects to be given a fresh chance to impress once the new president arrives next year.
As a result, a loan move is seen as the best option for Puig, and his agent has been in touch with Leeds to gauge whether such a move to Elland Road would be a possibility.
Marcelo Bielsa's possession-based style of play is seen as the ideal system for Puig to showcase his skills, but there are several other English sides in the conversation for the 21-year-old's signature.
In mainland Europe, RB Leipzig and Monaco have also been offered Puig's services, with both clubs more than willing to give young players the minutes they need to blossom.
Puig confessed to COPE back in October that he dreams of making it into Spain's squad for next summer's European Championships, and although he did say he thought staying at Barcelona would have helped his case, it's believed that Puig now sees a loan move as the best option.
Koeman is expected to be in favour of the move, having admitted back in September that he has already encouraged Puig to leave Barcelona on loan because of the intense competition for minutes in La Blaugrana's midfield.
The trio of Frenkie de Jong, Sergio Busquets and Miralem Pjanic have dominated the minutes in Koeman's midfield this season, and Puig is open to spending the next six months elsewhere to prove he deserves a spot at Camp Nou next year.