A player being linked with a move to Barcelona these days does not mean what it once meant.
Sure, anytime a player hits a good run or form or establishes themselves as one of the better players in a major European league, such as Philippe Coutinho, you'll hear about the Catalan giants sniffing around, but you'll also see some bang average players linked with moves to play alongside Neymar, Lionel Messi, and Luis Suarez.
Just like Dirk Kuyt (not calling him a bang average player, but the guy is 36) was reportedly being looked at as cover for the striker position before they swiped Paco Alcacer from Valencia, Glen Johnson has raised eyebrows by having his name linked with a move to Barcelona.
But now it is the right-back position that needs to be addressed, as Alex Vidal has not played at the required level since signing from Sevilla, and there is a big Dani Alves shaped hole in the Barca squad, where midfielder Sergi Roberto has been filling in on occasion.
According to the Daily Mail, we've seen Glen Johnson's name linked with a move to Spain because of his "close friend" Luis Suarez. The two played together for Liverpool and came so close to winning the league before the Uruguayan headed for Spain.
Stoke City full-back Glen Johnson is on a list of possible January signings at Barcelona and the former England international will have the backing of his old Liverpool team-mate Luis Suarez.
Johnson is in the final year of his contract at Stoke and is seen as a viable alternative in a limited list of short-term options.
The 32-year-old former Liverpool defender was close friends with Luis Suarez at Anfield and is understood to have some grasp of the Spanish language.
As strange as it sounds that Johnson has "some grasp of the Spanish language", it's definitely true that Suarez is a fan of his ability, as he wrote the following about the former England international in his autobiography:
He impressed me hugely. He has a combination of physical strength, power and intelligence and technically he’s so good that despite being right footed he shoots better off of his left foot.
Were it to happen, it would be one of the most unusual transfers we have ever seen. A player who can't get into the Stoke City team ahead of Phil Bardsley joining Barcelona in January.
We're assuming that there are many more suitable candidates on that shortlist to address the right-back problem, but it seems highly plausible that they are considering making a move.
What is really heartwarming about all of this, however, is that sometimes even Barcelona adopt the same policy as your local regular 5-a-side when you are short on players... "Does anyone have a made who is decent and isn't busy?"
