Barcelona Eye Former Liverpool Flop as Rejuvenated Lazio Star Shines in Serie A

Barcelona are believed to be hot on the trail of former Liverpool flop Luis Alberto, as they look to replace their soon to be departed club legend Andrés Iniesta with the versatile Lazio midfielder.

As reported by the Sun, Alberto's stunning performances in Serie A this season are a far cry from his days at Anfield, and Barça have earmarked the technically gifted Spaniard as the future of their midfield. The 25-year-old is a key part of the Lazio team, and has produced a stunning 12 goals and 17 assists in all competitions during the current campaign.

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Iniesta confirmed on Friday that he will finally leave Barcelona at the end of the season after spending 22 years with the Catalan giants. It is not certain where the legendary playmaker will look to spend the final chapter of his career, but it is widely believed that the 33-year-old will move to the Chinese Super League for one final bumper pay packet.

To say Alberto will have a lot to live up to is an understatement, but the former Sevilla youth prodigy will be more than confident in his abilities to make the big step up. The midfielder spent time at Barça on loan as a reserve player in 2012, and could now well achieve the dream of playing regular football for the first team football next season.

In other news, a report from Spain has claimed that Barcelona are desperate to sign Arsenal defender Hector Bellerin in the summer, and could offer the Gunners Ousmane Dembele in exchange. The deal certainly seems unlikely, as Dembele only joined the La Liga leaders at the beginning of the current campaign for £135m.