Barcelona Transfer News: AS Roma Director Monchi Fuels Cengiz Under Rumours

AS Roma sporting director Monchi has said Barcelona "have an interest" in breakout star Cengiz Under but suggested the Giallorossi will do all they can to ensure he continues his development at the Stadio Olimpico.

Under moved to Rome from Turkish outfit Basaksehir in July 2017 and has been a hit in the second half of this season, so much so that Monchi told Turkish radio station Radyospor Under's agent has confirmed Barca's interest (h/t Football Espana):

"It's true that Barcelona have an interest in the player. Bayram Tutumlu (Cengiz's agent) has a strong relationship with Barca and he informed me that there is definitely an interest there.

"We have not received any offers for the player but it would not surprise me if he was being tracked—he is a young, talented player who is scoring a lot of goals.

"Our aim is for Cengiz to become a very important player for us because he has youth and all the qualities needed to do that."

Monchi is correct in that it wouldn't be a major surprise to hear Barca were keeping tabs on the 20-year-old given their record for investing in young, promising talent.

Under was limited largely to substitute appearances in the first half of the season and fighting for a place in Roma's squad, but he outlined his rare potential with a strike against Shakhtar Donetsk in February, per OptaCan:

The winger has since established himself as a much more important figure in Roma's attack since then, going from earning four Serie A starts before 2018 to starting eight of his side's 11 league outings this year.

The youngster has six goals to his name in his maiden campaign in Italy, just three off the career-best nine he scored last season, and that's despite moving to a new league and missing the first half of the campaign.

Barcelona, meanwhile, have struggled to maintain a fully fit Ousmane Dembele after they purchased the French wideman from Borussia Dortmund last summer, although it hasn't showed in their success this term.

But the Blaugrana aren't liable to ignore a talent when it arises in a position they wish to improve, and Under boasts the kind of scoring ability they tend to favour among even their wingers, as shown by Roma's Twitter account:

One factor that could impede a move for Under is Barca's reported interest in Atletico Madrid striker Antoine Griezmann, per F.J. Diaz of AS, a deal that could take up a vast majority of any summer transfer budget.

But one could argue that despite the gulf in pedigree between the two, Under would make the more sensible signing based on Barca's current needs, and Goal's Ben Hayward questioned where Griezmann slots in at the Camp Nou:

Luis Suarez already leads manager Ernesto Valverde's attack, with Lionel Messi and Philippe Coutinho either side of him, and there is little room to adopt another striker of world-class quality.

It serves as vindication for Under's work since moving to Italy last summer that his progress this season has put a club like Barcelona on alert, although former Sevilla transfer chief Monchi is unlikely to be open to a sale just yet.