Having been shipped out on loan again in January, Barcelona ace Gerard Deulofeu isn’t particularly confident that he has a future at the Nou Camp.
The 24-year-old’s career with the Catalan giants has been stop start as since 2013, he has been sent out for loan spells at Everton, Sevilla and AC Milan.
Barcelona opted to buy him back from the Toffees last summer, but after just 17 appearances in all competitions in the first half of the season, he was loaned out to Watford in January where an injury has disrupted his time at Vicarage Road.
In turn, having failed to establish himself under Ernesto Valverde, the Spaniard has seemingly painted a negative picture of his hopes of having a future at Barcelona and has predicted that he will be moving on this summer.
“[Gracia] has told me he wants me to stay at Watford and it’s clear that I won’t return to Barca — I don’t think Valverde wants me back,” he told Cadena Ser.
“We have to take it slowly, analyse the situation carefully and see what happens. I need to be calm. I wanted to go out on loan [in January] and I don’t think I’ll return to Barcelona.”
It will undoubtedly be a disappointment for Deulofeu, as he did impress during his loan stint with Milan last season, emerging as a key figure in Vincenzo Montella’s side.
That helped him force his way back into the picture for the senior Spain squad, but following a lack of regular football again this year coupled with the injury that he sustained after joining Watford, it’s highly unlikely that he’ll be heading to the World Cup in Russia this summer.
In turn, perhaps a move away from Barcelona is the most sensible option, as with the likes of Luis Suarez, Lionel Messi, Ousmane Dembele and Philippe Coutinho occupying the attacking positions in the starting line-up, it’s difficult to see where he can fit in.