Barcelona forced to put its pursuit of the 'duo of the future' on hold

Two young players closely linked with Barcelona as potential signings for next season are refusing to discuss their footballing futures before the current season has ended.

The Catalan club is monitoring Kosovan striker Vesnik Aslani, who plays in the German Bundesliga, and Croatian defender Luka Vuskovic, on loan at Hamburg, but the players prefer to focus entirely on their performances with their current teams and postpone any decisions regarding their future until after the end of the season.

The 23-year-old Kosovan striker scored a goal in his side Hoffenheim’s 2-1 defeat to Mainz, and after the match, the player confirmed that he is currently thinking only of helping his team through this crucial stage of the season, leaving his future uncertain.

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The player said in comments reported by the Spanish outlet Mundo Deportivo: “I can only influence what happens on the pitch; I strive to give my best performance and help the team, whether by scoring goals, creating them or anything else.”

He added: “Regardless of anything else, I give my all for the team. What happens off the pitch doesn’t worry me; everyone talks and talks. As I said before, I can only influence what happens on the pitch.”

He continued: “Last season, when I was still at Elfsborg, the situation was similar. I always used to say: ‘Leave me alone, let me play football, let me enjoy myself,’ and that is exactly what I’m doing this season as well. In the end, we’ll see what happens.”

The Kosovan striker is one of the standout performers this season, having scored 10 goals and provided six assists so far.

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As for the 19-year-old Croatian defender, he gave an interview this week to the Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung, in which he left the door open to future possibilities, whilst emphasising that he is tied to a long-term contract with Tottenham Hotspur.

Luka Vuković said: “In the world of football, nothing is certain; it could happen next year or in ten years’ time. I don’t want to promise anyone anything. After this season, I’ll be back as a Tottenham player; I have a contract there until 2030.”

Despite the strong links between the duo and Barcelona in recent times, the Catalan club has other priorities in the upcoming summer transfer window, most notably signing Argentine striker Julián Álvarez (26) and Italian defender Alessandro Bastoni (26) to strengthen the attack and the heart of the defence.

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