Until September 1, anything can happen at Barcelona. The club is full of surprises, and with its current financial situation and problems registering new signings, there could be some unexpected departures. It is true that the club’s management does not want this to happen, but one of the factors that could determine the near future of the Catalans is Ter Stegen. The German is undergoing surgery for back problems, and the time he is out will allow Joan Laporta to know whether he can count on 80% of his salary to register new signings or whether he will have to find other ways to comply with LaLiga’s 1:1 rule.
That is why, after the signings of Joan García, Marcus Rashford, and Roony Bardghji, the transfer market seems to be at a standstill, although the arrival of a defender cannot be ruled out if a destination is found for Andreas Christensen. One of the names that has been mentioned most often in connection with a move to Barcelona is Denzel Dumfries, who has a $25 million release clause until July 31, so time is really running out for Barça, which does not seem to be able to afford the transfer. Once that deadline passes, Inter Milan will likely not let the Dutchman leave for less than €35 million.
Barcelona’s forward line
On the other hand, in addition to defense, the line that Barcelona needed to strengthen was the forward line. With Lamine Yamal, Robert Lewandowski, Raphinha, and Ferran Torres as regulars for Hansi Flick, there was a need to bring in a new striker. At this point, there was a short but intense soap opera with Nico Williams, who was scared by the possibility of not being registered and ended up renewing with Athletic Club. Luis Díaz then became the favorite, but it was impossible for Can Barça to meet Liverpool’s asking price for the Colombian.
That’s when they moved on to plan C, which was Marcus Rashford. The Englishman was leaving Manchester United and arrived at Camp Nou on loan. With five players for the front three, Hansi Flick is calm because Dani Olmo, if necessary, can play in those positions, as can Fermín López. In addition, youth players such as Dro are also knocking on the door during this Asian tour, but the sixth could end up being Roony Bardghji, who is also impressing the German coach and could end up staying in the first team.
Gabriel Jesus is rumored
That is why, with the Azulgranas’ offensive line complete, it is surprising that rumors of a new striker are circulating. According to CaughtOffside, the Barcelona is closely following the situation of Gabriel Jesus, who could leave Arsenal. The Brazilian striker was already linked with the Catalan club years ago when he was playing for Manchester City, but the deal did not materialize and he continued his career in the Premier League.
Now it seems that his days at Mikel Arteta’s Arsenal are numbered, and Gabriel Jesus has also been linked with Flamengo, which is trying to put together a great team. The club where Vinicius Jr. trained has signed former Barcelona player Emerson Royal and former Atlético Madrid player Saúl Ñíguez. As if that weren’t enough, it is also close to signing Atlético player Samu Lino and could find in the Arsenal striker one of the last pieces to complete its squad to fight for the Copa Libertadores.