Strengthening the ranks of his team next summer will be difficult for FC Barcelona, which is tied hand and foot due to the rules of financial fair play and the requirements of La Liga. The sports administration is working to sign free players, as their contracts with their clubs expire next June, although it is not the only method that the club will follow.
Mathieu Alemani is awaiting developments at Manchester City, where many important players in the squad could end up leaving. Three key players are in difficult situations at City and are on Barcelona’s radar.
Guardiola continues without hiding that he will not resist any player who wants to leave, as he did with Joao Cancelo in the last winter market. The relationship between Barcelona and City is excellent and their departure to the Camp Nou could be beneficial.
Something that will not be new for both of them, since Eric Garcia and Ferran Torres have already moved from Manchester City to Barcelona in a process that they negotiated in an “amicable” manner. Aguero also moved to Barcelona on a free transfer after his contract with the English team expired.
Gundogan, the most feasible option
The German midfielder appears to be running out of time at the Etihad Stadium. He will be a free agent from June 30, and everything indicates that he will end up joining any other club on a free, with Barcelona being one of the teams closest to him at the moment.
The relationship between Gundogan and Barcelona is not new and signing with the German is not the first time it has been heard of. His experience and versatility at the heart of the team could give Xavi’s men an added edge, even more so with Sergio Busquets’ future still up in the air.
His arrival appears to be the most feasible financially and mathematically.
Bernardo Silva, sophomore year
The other big name in the equation is Bernardo Silva. His signing did not materialize last summer and the Portuguese’s intention has not changed at all. He wants to leave England and Barcelona remains his preferred option, although it is more complicated than it was last year.
Barcelona must pay a certain amount of money to include Bernardo, and no matter how friendly the relationship is with City, Manchester will demand a high number limit to get rid of one of the great pieces in the team.
The player’s will could be vital because last summer his departure was almost complete, although many factors would have to happen at the Blaugrana club before a signing could be made.
Julian Alvarez, The Forbidden Dream
The third player is Julian Alvarez. The Argentine has few playing opportunities under Guardiola and is already starting to overtake major markets. The Argentine wants more fame, which is difficult for him given the unwavering presence of Erling Haaland from the City line-up.
Barcelona were already following the striker before he ended up in Manchester and had already asked Guardiola’s men about Julian’s situation. Whatever the case, the Argentine’s departure seems unlikely and even more so at a price that Barcelona can compete with.
With his impressive performance in the World Cup and his young age, many big European clubs will enter the scene if Julian announces his desire to change the scene, which will make his arrival at the Camp Nou even more impossible.
Barcelona will not miss what might happen, although they at the club are aware of the difficulty of dealing with his signature. Loan is another option that could be considered, a fact that the player himself would welcome, with the aim of looking for playing opportunities while waiting to see if Haaland ends up at the Etihad Stadium beyond 2024.
It is clear that a difficult summer awaits Barcelona, but precedents invite us to be optimistic, especially with the memory of last year.
Source: Sport