The 'ace up the sleeve' that FC Barcelona would be evaluating to reinforce the pivot

FC Barcelona seems to be open to various names and profiles to strengthen different areas of the field. In that sense, one of the areas that has been discussed the most within the Barcelona team that needs to be reinforced is the midfield, a sector of the field where there are many talented players, mostly oriented towards the offensive and creative side, with skills more suited to the final third of the field.

Given this, it's not surprising that Barça, despite the notable emergence of players like Marc Bernal and Marc Casadó, is considering various options in the market to strengthen the central area of the team's tactical scheme. All this is aimed at providing greater solidity and depth to the essential double pivot in Hansi Flick's playing philosophy.

Jerdy Schouten, FC Barcelona's 'hidden gem' to bolster the midfield

Under this premise, among the names on FC Barcelona's agenda to enhance depth in that position, one that could well be considered a 'hidden gem' emerges: Jerdy Schouten, a midfielder at PSV Eindhoven. The Spijkenisse native has stood out as one of the top talents in Dutch football today.

The 27-year-old midfielder, with the versatility to play as a pivot, more advanced midfielder, and defender, took time to shine on the international sports scene. This came after stints at Bologna (2019-23) in Serie A, as well as ADO Den Haag (2016-17), Telstar (2017-18), and Excelsior (2018-19).

However, he is currently one of the most sought-after players by several European clubs. Why? Because Jerdy Schouten, who has also gained prominence in the Netherlands national team, especially after his performance in the Euro Cup in the absence of key midfield figures like Frenkie de Jong and Teun Koopmeiners, has shown a remarkable ability to cover for his teammates in the midfield.

Schouten is a midfielder capable of defensively correcting his allies' mistakes, showing an important tactical sense to position himself correctly as the play demands. In addition, Jerdy has a great ability to recover balls thanks to his impressive physical presence. Along with his defensive attributes, the '22' of PSV Eindhoven has also demonstrated excellent technical skills, displaying a suitable game vision ideal for initiating ball distribution from the backline. These attributes are highly valued by FC Barcelona.

Will the Blaugrana club bet on the incorporation of Schouten?

However, although Jerdy Schouten could fit perfectly into the desired profile to be part of Barça's midfield, his signing seems to be the easiest of them all. The Dutchman is under contract with PSV Eindhoven until June 2028, meaning that if FC Barcelona wants to have his services, they will have to negotiate with the Dutch team.

It is likely that the transfer fee will not be close to his market value according to 'Transfermarkt' (28 million euros). At this point, as reported by the media outlet 'SPORT', his value could be assessed at 60 million euros, a significant amount that would require an evaluation of whether Barcelona would be in a position to pay.