Barcelona, once the economic leverage needed to resolve the delicate financial situation is agreed, will attempt to formalize the first five deals for next season.
These are five players that have already been agreed for months, and that in some cases only need to negotiate their departure with their clubs. Barcelona sports management asked them to be patient while they wait until they can submit official offers that they can fulfill. The time has come and the last attacks will begin next week.
The sports department has done practically all of its work while waiting for sufficient financial resources to close those deals. Barcelona already know the money they will be able to invest – with the sale of a major player like Frenkie de Jong – and are now focused on cutting the salary block to start registering new players.
They are convinced at FC Barcelona that they will be able to raise the salary limit by generating more profits, but they still want to get rid of as many players as possible because they do not have many seats available on the roster. More than 10 players will be sold and a salary cut will be negotiated for the rest.
Christensen and Kessie are waiting
From now on things will start to happen. The first two deals have already been closed for months and only the official announcement remains, which may happen in the coming days. They are defender Andreas Christensen (Chelsea) and Milan midfielder Franck Kessie.
The two will arrive with a letter of freedom and can be registered. It will be necessary to know the duration of the contracts, but they will extend from three to four years.
Lewandowski is the priority
These two deals have been completed since January and the absolute priority now is the Lewandowski case. Barcelona and the player reached a pre-agreement in February for two seasons plus an optional one and Barcelona was limited to waiting for events. Lewandowski has come out publicly requesting his departure and has already made it clear to Bayern that he only wants to leave for the Camp Nou. A declaration of intent means a significant reduction in the price of a player whose contract expires in 2023.
Barcelona didn’t take any action because they didn’t know what resources they could get. But Lewandowski and his agents were reassured by making it clear that they would not be left stranded. Next week, it could be the first direct official contact between Bayern and Barcelona to put the deal on the right track once and for all.
Despite the souring of statements, they are convinced at Barcelona that Lewandowski will be able to leave for just over €30m. And negotiations could be swift, although everything is likely to be announced as of July 1. In any case, Xavi Hernandez will have his top scorer to start pre-season safely.
Marcos Alonso and Azpilicueta’s options
The other two cases that Barcelona will tackle in the early days of starting deals are Marcos Alonso and Cesar Azpilicueta. Full-backs are the next priority who were signed weeks ago in the absence of an agreement with Chelsea.
At the Blaugrana club, they thought that their departure would be easier, but the London club faces a lot of problems, especially in the case of Azpilicueta. Barcelona will have to compensate in the form of a transfer of players. It will not be a high price but there will be a sale.
Azpilicueta and Marcos Alonso are in constant contact with Xavi, who has been conveying their calm and confidence. The two got other offers, but they waited patiently for FC Barcelona and would soon see their reward. Two signatures are also priority.
With these deals closed, the club will continue to work on strengthening its defense and attack lines without forgetting the midfielder in the event of De Jong’s departure. These efforts will be slower due to the increased number of players on the team roster.
Source: sport