The sporting directorate of Barcelona, led by Deco, continues to work hard to build the squad for next season. In addition to these signings and the sales they need to make, there is also concern surrounding the registration of players in LaLiga, as it should be remembered that one of the reasons why the signing of Nico Williams fell through was the uncertainty surrounding the Athletic player’s registration with the league and his ability to play in the first few games of the season, a problem that Dani Olmo had last season, which saw him miss the first few games.
That is why, after Nico Williams’ renewal with Athletic Club until 2035, new names are emerging that could end up at the Camp Nou. Luis Díaz and Marcus Rashford are the main candidates to sign for the Catalan club, but anything can happen this summer at Can Barça. In the case of the Colombian, Liverpool are asking for a lot of money and not even Bayern Munich, who have reportedly reached an agreement with the player, can come to terms with the Reds. On the other hand, the English striker seems a more feasible option, as Manchester United want to get rid of him and he could even arrive at Barcelona on loan with an option to buy.
Deco and the rest of the club’s sporting management have more work to do, as they must remember that they need to continue reducing the wage bill in order to register new signings. For now, Szczesny and Joan García are not registered, while Marc-André Ter Stegen and Iñaki Peña are, but have been shown the door. In addition, Oriol Romeu, Pau Víctor, and Pablo Torre need to be transferred, although other unexpected sales cannot be ruled out. Ronald Araújo, Frenkie de Jong, Andreas Christensen, and Ferran Torres are always on the list of players who could leave Camp Nou if a significant offer arrives at the Blaugrana offices.
Gyökeres enters the scene
Among all the names being mentioned as potential replacements for Raphinha, Lamine Yamal, Lewandowski, and Ferran Torres, we mustn’t forget Viktor Gyökeres. The Swedish striker has been one of the big surprises this season with Sporting Portugal, where he has scored more than 50 goals. The 27-year-old Nordic player is leaving the Lisbon club and was once rumored to be a possible signing for Barcelona.
In fact, his emergence has been such that he is one of the favorites among Barcelona fans to sign for the club and replace Robert Lewandowski, who is entering the final stages of his career. It should also be noted that Atlético Madrid also has Viktor Gyökeres on its agenda and is waiting to try to make a move, as it did with Julián Álvarez, to sign the striker who is all the rage in European football.
Arsenal wants Gyökeres
The big problem that Atlético Madrid and Barcelona would encounter is Arsenal. The London club has been negotiating with Sporting Portugal for some time, but they have not reached an agreement for his permanent transfer. According to A Bola, Andrea Berta, the Gunners’ sporting director, has not finalized the deal because the Portuguese club is not budging on its demands. The president of Sporting Portugal will only let Viktor Gyökeres leave if they pay €70 million plus another €10 million in variables, a figure that the English club is not offering, although they are close.
This information from the Portuguese media claims that the situation between the two clubs is very tense and that Arsenal could be getting tired and breaking off negotiations to sign Viktor Gyökeres. This would be the perfect scenario for Atlético and Barcelona, as they could then move in for his signing, but they are already aware of what has happened with the London club, so they will only be able to try if they are willing to pay what Sporting de Portugal is asking, which is not budging from its demands.