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Barcelona want Manchester United star to replace Andres Iniesta

By Rucker Haringey

MANCHESTER, ENGLAND - APRIL 22: (EXCLUSIVE COVERAGE) Ander Herrera of Manchester United in action during a first team training session at Aon Training Complex on April 22, 2017 in Manchester, England. (Photo by John Peters/Man Utd via Getty Images)
MANCHESTER, ENGLAND - APRIL 22: (EXCLUSIVE COVERAGE) Ander Herrera of Manchester United in action during a first team training session at Aon Training Complex on April 22, 2017 in Manchester, England. (Photo by John Peters/Man Utd via Getty Images) /
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Barcelona want to sign Ander Herrera this summer

David de Gea might not be the only Manchester United star preparing to move home to Spain this summer. It’s quite possible that Ander Herrera will leave the Premier League to join one of La Liga’s top clubs as well.

Herrera won’t be joining de Gea at Real Madrid though. Instead, the silky midfielder is being linked with a big money move to Barcelona. The Catalan giants see him as a natural replacement for legendary midfielder Andres Iniesta.

Losing Herrera just as he’s found his footing would be a real bitter pill to swallow for Jose Mourinho and company. The Spaniard has emerged as a perfect partner for Paul Pogba in The Special One’s midfield. If he leaves this summer, it will force United back into the transfer market to find the right partner for their high-priced Frenchman.

The good news for United fans is that Herrera likely isn’t Barcelona’s top target to fill the role. The Spanish giants would almost certainly prefer to sign Marco Verratti. The PSG midfielder has openly flirted with the idea of moving to Spain, but it’s still up in the air as to whether or not the French giants would really sell.

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Stylistically, Herrera might be a better fit for the way Barcelona play currently. He is a more physical defender than Iniesta, and is also an excellent passer of the ball. He wouldn’t change the way Barcelona plays, but he could help them become a slightly more balanced side.

If Barcelona are going to acquire Herrera, they will certainly need to pay United more than the £29 million the Red Devils spent to bring him in from Athletic Bilbao back in 2014. It wouldn’t surprise anyone if Mourinho wanted to try to double that fee to move on from Herrera now. That sort of fee would give Barcelona significant pause, but wouldn’t necessarily be a deal breaker.

Next: Manchester United plotting revenge transfer

Manchester United are going to have their hands full with interest from Spanish superpowers this summer. David de Gea seems certain to go, and now Ander Herrera is being tipped to follow in his footsteps. It’s easy to see Herrera being intrigued by a summer move to Barcelona.

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