“We spoke with Deco” – the agent reveals that Barcelona have had conversations with the Napoli star

Barcelona's top priority this summer is to sign a new pivot. Oriol Romeu has struggled to live up to the hype of being Sergio Busquets' successor, and now he wants another option – one that is perhaps more established in the highest level of European football.

The Blaugrana have continued their search for a new defensive midfielder throughout the season, with several names being added to their list. At one point, one of his targets was of Naples Stanislav Lobotka, as revealed by his agent, Branislav Jarusek (via Football Italy).

“We talked with Deco. Barcelona would have signed him, but many things must happen. Stanislav sent me a screenshot of what Xavi said about him. I sent him one that shows the many times we talked about him, because he (Xavi) often asks me about Lobotka.”

Barcelona he had the opportunity to watch Lobotka first hand when he took on Napoli in the Champions League, a match they won 4-2 on aggregate. It remains to be seen if the Slovakian international is on their shortlist for this summer.