Barcelona Opinion: Why should Barca sign Jerome Roussillon?
According to a report from Sport, Barcelona are interested in signing Wolfsburg left-back Jerome Roussillon, as Ernesto Valverde looks to bolster his side’s defence.
The report also adds that Barca have identified the French full-back alongside Phillip Max as a second-string option to first-choice left-back Jordi Alba.
How good is Roussillon? Will he able to solve the defensive crisis at Barcelona?
The 26-year-old made his presence felt right away in his first-ever season in the Bundesliga, racking up 3 goals and 6 assists for Wolfsburg in all competitions.
Before his Bundesliga switch, Roussillon spent three seasons with Montpellier, playing around 100 games.
As far as his last season’s stats are concerned, the French defender cut an impressive figure with three Man of the Match awards. He held a pass success percentage of 77 with an average of 1.1 key passes and 1.8 dribbles per game, an indication of how good he is at dribbling.
Roussillon fared well defensively, as he secured an average of 1.5 clearances and tackles per game, thus becoming a revelation for the German club.
Meanwhile, at Barca last season, Valverde heavily relied on Spanish international Alba for the entirety because of the absence of back-ups. As a result, the 31-year-old put up a rusty performance against Liverpool in the Champions League semi-final defeat.
To that end, Roussillon can raise the stakes for the ex-Valencia man and also add depth to the defence.
The French left-back’s stats from the last term are a cut above some of the high-profile names in the Bundesliga like David Alaba, who had a mere average of 0.9 key passes and dribbles and 1 tackle per game.
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Roussillon has represented France’s national team at U18 and U20 levels and can enhance his chances for a senior team call-up should he move to a club like Barca.
Final Verdict
The Blaugrana are currently overwhelming with attacking options and they need to add a left-back to their portfolio ahead of next season. Roussillon would be a smart addition to the Catalans, considering the form he is in as of now.