FC Barcelona have shown this past season that they know exactly what they want on the pitch, with a recognizable style and Barça DNA at the core. Now they need to show the same clarity in planning a squad that wants to achieve the greatest challenge in recent years: winning the Champions League. To do so, they know that the missing piece in an otherwise well-built team is a reinforcement for the attack, specifically a left winger.
The priority in the transfer market
“I think we have a lot of balance, both in defense and in midfield,” Deco said in a recent interview in Brazil. The sporting director took the opportunity to make clear what Barça’s main objective is in the transfer market. “And in attack, it will depend on what we can do in the market. But perhaps that is the only area where we identify that we are missing a player,” he revealed.
This was also made very clear by Hansi Flick in his last press conference of the season: “In recent games, we haven’t had many options for these positions. Looking at players is Deco’s job, but I will help him,” he said. Two of the main candidates are Luis Díaz, from Liverpool, and Rashford, from Aston Villa, about whom he had this to say: “I don’t want to talk about players who are not in my team. But they are both fantastic, I like them and we’ll see what happens. They are fantastic.”
The list of candidates
The club is considering several names, with Liverpool player Luis Díaz being the favorite. The problem with the Colombian is, for the moment, the English club’s reluctance to let him go for less than $80 million. The same problem, the price and the salary, would be what would make the deal difficult with Nico Williams, who has made it clear that this summer the door is open for him to join Barça. Marcus Rashford would be cheaper, with his departure from Manchester United potentially being finalized for €40 million.
However, Barcelona is reportedly considering another even cheaper option in Ivan Perisic. The club sees him as a similar deal to Szczesny, which could pay off. The 36-year-old player has played for PSV this past season and is now a free agent. In Germany, the Bild newspaper claims that Hansi Flick is considering signing the Croatian, who was already on the radar last summer. The player would be the low-cost option if they can’t get their hands on the coveted Luis Díaz. No moves have been made yet, but the interest is real.
A problem in sight with Perisic
Fabrizio Romano has provided more details about a player who is waiting for Barça to make a move to define his future. According to this source, Ivan Perisic has a renewal offer from PSV ready to sign, but the player is waiting for Barça given his good relationship with Hansi Flcik. The Dutch club has offered him a two-year contract extension, and some local media outlets claim that the player is close to accepting. The coming weeks will be key in determining the situation. Working against Barcelona is pressure from PSV and the fact that they themselves do not have much room for maneuver until they finalize departures that will free up salary cap space and bring revenue into the club’s coffers.