Once again, it’s not an easy summer for FC Barcelona in the transfer market. Asking for a leap of faith from potential signings in terms of their registration doesn’t always work out. That’s why the exciting signing of Nico Williams has once again fallen through, and it looks like the same will happen with another favorite, Luis Díaz, as the Catalan club can’t compete in the market. With this scenario, the Azulgrana team has no choice but to consider new options, and one is gaining momentum in recent hours.
Fair play complicates everything
Barcelona always seems to be on the verge of solving its problems and achieving the 1:1 rule, but the truth is that with just a few days to go before the start of the preseason, it is still not in this situation. The same is true of the release of salary mass and a transfer operation that seems to have stalled. For the time being, therefore, there is no room to register Joan García, who has shown his faith by trusting the club’s word, something that was not enough for Nico Williams.
Nico Williams asked for some guarantee of registration beyond the club’s word. Specifically, the player wanted his signing agreement to include a release clause, which the club was not willing to consider due to the investment of more than $60 million it was going to make for the player. In the absence of guarantees, the Navarrese player once again slammed the door on Barça and decided to renew with Athletic until 2035.
This lack of options to compete financially and the inability to provide registration guarantees complicate matters greatly for Barça. Barcelona wanted to return to the Luis Diaz option, who has always been a favorite, once the Nico Williams deal fell through, but it will not be an easy task for several reasons. The main one is Liverpool’s reluctance to let the player leave, which means there is no room for negotiation and the full amount of the clause would have to be paid, i.e., between €75 million and €80 million.
The difficulties posed by the English club are not the only problem, as in the last few hours it has been reported from Germany that the player has reached a full agreement with Bayern, who are willing to negotiate with the English club and pay the clause.
New target on the horizon
With this scenario, Barcelona is already looking for new horizons, and one name stands out: Xavi Simons, according to Sport. The search for a player for this position is not an easy task, as there is a lot of demand and little supply, especially with the limitations of the Azulgranas, but the Dutchman’s situation is favorable as he wants to leave Leipzig.
The club has accepted this request, although not at any price. The ‘Red Bulls’ are demanding an offer of around €70-80 million to let him go. This is a high price, but one that Barça could afford if it does not enter into a bidding war.
This option would not be the only one, as other names have been mentioned in recent hours, all of them young players. We are talking about Antonio Nusa (20), a player for RB Leipzig; Kenan Yildiz (20), who had a great Club World Cup with Juventus, who want Ronald Araújo; and Eliesse Ben Seghir (20) of AS Monaco.