Nolito must be the number one transfer target at Barcelona

Although Barcelona would prefer to be leading La Liga — they’re fourth, one point behind leaders Villarreal — during international break, their chances of repeating their historical treble-winning season remain intact.

However, there is a general sense of pessimism in the streets of the Catalan capital. The never-ending string of injuries that has affected 14 members of the first team squad since September, including key players such as Lionel Messi, Andres Iniesta or Rafinha, has forced Luis Enrique to rely on Barca B hopefuls in recent weeks.

While trusting La Masia graduates is always a positive in the long run, the impact made by youngsters Munir El Haddadi and Sandro Ramirez has been fairly minimal.

Read the full “Messi absence means Nolito interest makes sense from Barcelona” column by Francesc Tomas for ESPN here.