As part of the deal that saw Memphis Depay join the Rojiblancos in January, it has been widely rumoured that Barcelona obtained a preferential option to sign Atletico Madrid winger Yannick Carrasco in the summer transfer window.
The price that was agreed upon by the two teams has been the subject of conflicting reports, with some sites claiming it was €15 million and others saying it was €20 million. Even some publications have stated that it is close to €9 million. However, the core of the issue is that Barcelona is reportedly unwilling to pay the initial €15–20 million cost agreed upon for Carrasco and does not want to provide more than €9–10 million for his services.
But as of late, a new rumour from MARCA’s David G. Medina asserts that Barcelona and Atletico Madrid have agreed to sell Carrasco for €19 million. And if the Catalans want to sign him this summer, the Rojiblancos will demand that it be paid in full. Carrasco attempted to arrange a transfer to Barça during the actual January window with the help of his agent, Pini Zahavi. The athlete was eager to join Spotify Camp Nou, where Xavi Hernandez and his coaching staff were also enthusiastic about having him join them.
Atletico Madrid, however, insisted on their position and declined to approve a departure. According to the report, a deal was eventually reached for Barcelona to sign him in the summer, with the transfer cost set at €19 million.
As previously stated, Barça has no intention of paying that fee because Carrasco will soon be approaching the final year of his contract. According to rumours, the La Liga’s top clubs will attempt to negotiate a cheaper transfer cost for the Belgian international.
Atletico Madrid, however, has made it clear that they will only settle for the €19 million sum that was originally agreed upon in January and that they feel is a more than fair price for Carrasco. The 29-year-old has seven goals and four assists in 38 games this season. There have been discussions about a potential trade involving Carrasco and Ferran Torres, although Barcelona would not benefit from such a transaction. It will be interesting to watch how they go about signing the Belgian winger in the summer.
Xavi Hernandez had a glittering career as a player; he won all he could at club and international level. Now he is out to make his mark in coaching and a few years into the business, there isn’t a shadow of a doubt that Xavi will make a big one. In a season Spanish coaches have done well, Xavi will throw his cap in there, where Pep Guardiola, Mikel Arteta, Xabi Alonso and Unai Emery stand.
Undeniable potential
However, Barcelona’s performances this season, and even last season under Xavi show that while the potential is undeniable, the former Barcelona midfielder still lacks the cutting edge. He has failed to inspire his team a lot in the Champions League, where they played teams of repute, and he even failed at the Europa League stage for two consecutive seasons. This is quite understandable for a man who was coaching in the Middle East then plucked and placed at the helm of one of Europe’s biggest names. One attribute that can’t be taken from Xavi is his technical astuteness. With that, he has established a rhythm at Barcelona since taking over from Ronald Koeman and his team seems to be coasting towards the La Liga title, going into the 31st round of league matches with an 11-point lead. The 2022-23 La Liga betting odds to win at Wincomparator have in most situations gone Barcelona’s way this season, and it is all clear, with the Catalans boasting the most wins and best defence this season.
Confidence in team
Xavi will be credited for taking over during one of Barcelona’s lowest moments, with the club struggling financially, and after the players that gave the team a name in recent years departed. The biggest credit for Xavi’s time at the team is instilling confidence in a young team and that ‘no fear factor’ is what will lift the team, at least domestically. However, and also for financial reasons, Barcelona need to get a grip of themselves when facing the top sides in Europe, and while that needs Xavi to build the character in his team, he also has to get support from the management, in terms of signing top, experienced players for the job. While he played for the team at one of its most exciting periods, employing sleek passing and movement, Xavi as a manager has struggled to instill that, putting a lot of effort on defending and in most such scenarios winning by a goal or producing a goalless draw. This probably is the reason Barcelona had a tough time across two legs in the Champions League against Bayern Munich. To put this in context, Barcelona have lost more matches in Europe than they have done in La Liga. There has been talk of Lionel Messi sealing an emotional return to Barcelona and this could be rousing. However, in the Catalans’ financial health the PSG forward may fail to show up at Camp Nou, and Xavi needs to have a plan B for this. Even if Messi returns, Xavi could still need to bring in players to complement Messi’s qualities.
It is not in doubt that Xavi has done well for Barcelona in his stint so far, but there are a lot of other forces that are needed for him to succeed. The management has to sort out the financial issues. Xavi has to get his signings right, and the solidity of the defence has to be adopted in attack with the needed precision.
Franck Kessie, a misfit from Barcelona, is reportedly in a bidding war with Juventus and Inter Milan to return to Serie A this summer
The record-setting Italian champions have reportedly identified the Ivory Coast international as a potential low-cost remedy for their midfield deficiencies, according to the Spanish magazine Diario Sport. The club’s issues in the back office have not been resolved despite Paul Pogba’s sensational comeback to Turin last summer.
Due to an injury-plagued season for the Frenchman, Fabio Miretti, Nicolo Fagioli, and Matias Soule, products of the youth academy, have been left to carry the bulk of the load. Despite Adrien Rabiot’s resurgence and Manuel Locatelli’s expanding impact, Juventus boss Massimiliano Allegri is eager to bolster his midfield. Leandro Paredes will likely return to Paris Saint-Germain at the end of the season after a disappointing season-long loan at the Allianz Stadium.
Allegri hopes to replace the position by enticing Kessie back to Serie A, assuming he stays in charge through 2022–2023 despite persistent rumours tying him to a summer departure. Before leaving the team last summer as a free transfer to join runaway La Liga leaders Barcelona, Kessie established himself over his five years at AC Milan.
The 26-year-old has struggled in Spain, making just one league start for Xavi Hernandez’s team this season after going to Spotify Camp Nou as one of the best-performing Serie A midfielders. The Ivorian might have to absorb the fallout as Barcelona plans a huge summer purge to balance the books and make room for a much-anticipated reunion with Lionel Messi.
To make place for the Argentine’s anticipated return to Catalunya, the Blaugrana will need to let go of a number of peripheral first-team talents, with Kessie being one of the first names on the trade block. As long as Juventus doesn’t have to spend a lot of money to accomplish the midfielder’s acquisition, they wouldn’t mind trying to revive his career, but Inter and Tottenham Hotspur are also interested.
Last summer, FC Barcelona took some huge risks in the attempt to return to the summit of Spanish and European football. The club sold several assets in order to raise funds for new additions to the playing staff at Camp Nou, as well as in order to renew a few contracts for key players. And it seems that those risks have paid off, domestically at least.
The Catalonians look set to be romping to a first Spanish championship in four years and are 11 points clear of reigning champions and archrivals Real Madrid with just a handful of games remaining. Perhaps even more impressively, they have conceded just nine goals all season. They are so far clear of their rivals that if you check out latest Bovada sports odds, you will notice that the highly regarded online bookmaker isn’t even offering a price on Xavi’s side securing the title.
Unfortunately, however, that domestic dominance didn’t translate into continental success, and for the second consecutive campaign, Barcelona crashed out of the UEFA Champions League at the group stage. They were also eliminated in the first knockout round of the Europa League by Manchester United. As such, further investment is expected this summer, and here are three men that could be brought to the Camp Nou in the coming months.
Lionel Messi
The signing that every Cule wants their club to make this summer is securing Lionel Messi’s return to Camp Nou. The little Argentinian genius left the club two years ago, with the club’s disastrous financial situation prohibiting them from renewing the contract of their greatest-ever player. He has spent the last 24 months in the French capital with Paris Saint-Germain, and he has added two Ligue 1 winners’ medals to his already overflowing trophy cabinet.
Messi’s greatest achievement since he has been away from his adopted home was leading his beloved Argentina to a first FIFA World Cup triumph in 36 years. The Roasrio-born attacker was the star of the show in Qatar last November and December, winning the Golden Ball award following seven goals and three assists in eight games. Despite him turning 36 years of age in June, there can be no denying that La Pulga would still have plenty to offer his beloved Barcelona.
Throughout his 16 years in Catalonia, Messi netted a whopping 672 goals in 778 games, becoming the club’s all-time record goal scorer in the process. In addition to that, he also provided a mighty 303 assists. When it comes to trophies, he won La Liga ten times, the Champions League four times and the Copa Del Rey seven times, and should he decide to come home, he will be hoping to add to his collection before his career winds down.
Ilkay Gündogan
Last year, Barcelona were hellbent on securing the signature of Manchester City star Bernardo Silva. This summer, it seems they have turned their attention to the Etihad Stadium once again, however, this time, it is German midfielder Ilkay Gündogan that Xavi has his eyes on. And with the talented former Borussia Dortmund man out of contract at the end of the current campaign, his arrival at Camp Nou is a very real possibility.
Gündogan was a sensational signing by Pep Guardiola. He was the first signing made by the former Barcelona manager, arriving at the club in the summer of 2016 for just £20m. In the seven years since, he has made over 290 appearances for the Citizens, winning four Premier League titles during that period.
The German won the World Cup with his country in 2014 and even though he will turn 33 in October, he should still have plenty to offer in Catalonia.
Iñigo MartÃnez
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The third and final man that could join Barcelona this summer is La Liga stalwart Iñigo MartÃnez. The current Athletic Bilbao man has made over 400 professional appearances for top clubs including the aforementioned Bilbao and rivals Real Sociedad. He also has 20 international appearances to his name, and he would surely up an already staunch Blaugrana defense.
MartÃnez is another man that is out of contract in the summer, and should Xavi manage to get the deal over the line, it would be more brilliant work in the transfer window. His addition would add to the four free transfers that the club managed to seal last summer, however, how close he would get to the starting eleven remains to be seen. The retirement of Gerard Pique earlier this season saw a spot for a new central defender open, and MartÃnez may very well fill that gap.
Gavi reassured Xavi that he is very much part of Barcelona’s future.
The 18-year-old midfielder signed a contract renewal with Barcelona back in September until the summer of 2026 with his release clause set at €1bn.
But the youngster was still registered to the academy and the club decided to change his status to a first-team player by the end of January.
He have the option to leave Camp Nou on a free transfer if his situation isn’t rectified and a number of top European clubs are interested in the Barcelona teenager.
Barcelona’s dire financial situation has made this uncertainty over the youngster’s future.
Chelsa were tipped to be the frontrunners for Gavi’s signature and have believed to be in contact with the midfielder’s entourage.
But despite his contract situation, the youngster has committed his future with Barcelona and explained to Xavi he is very much satisfied with the role at the club.
He has started 24 La Liga games and won the Supercopa de Espana back in January.
The Blaugrana would need to offload a number of players in the summer window to trim their wage bill and allow Gavi’s contract to be registered.
Barcelona was given the chance to acquire Liverpool forward Roberto Firmino, but the club declined
Due to the expiration of his Liverpool contract, Firmino is expected to become a free agent at the end of the current campaign. After eight years at Anfield, despite manager Jurgen Klopp’s desire to hold onto him, the footballer has chosen to move on to a new challenge.
According to rumours, Barcelona was considering signing the 31-year-old this summer due to Firmino’s impending free agency and the club’s desire to buy cheap players. In fact, several English media publications even claimed that a deal was already in place. Fabrizio Romano, an Italian transfer analyst, believed that Firmino was an option on Barça’s radars despite the fact that those allegations had been refuted by numerous trustworthy sources, including him.
However, Luis F. Rojo of MARCA is now claiming that Barcelona have no interest in the 31-year-old attacker and have already passed up the chance to sign the Brazilian when he made himself available to the team a few months ago.
Despite Firmino’s obvious talent, according to the source, Barça are not interested in signing the former TSG Hoffenheim forward this summer. A new center-forward is not Barcelona’s top priority at all, the report continues, despite the club’s close ties to players like Vitor Roque and Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang.
Instead, they want to improve their alternatives on the wings, and club officials have talked about bringing back loanee Ez Abde. So, according to a different report, Firmino won’t be joining Barcelona this summer because the La Liga leaders had no interest in the Brazilian before the transfer window opened.
In light of rising rumours that Lionel Messi may return to Barcelona, Kylian Mbappe wants his PSG teammate to remain at the club, according to a report from Dani Gil of Mundo Deportivo
After the Catalans declined to extend his contract, Messi left Barça and signed for PSG in the summer of 2021. Although the 35-year-old has experienced some measure of success in France, his relationship with the club’s followers in Paris is not the best. Given that his contract expires in the summer and PSG’s continued failure in Europe, Messi is now pondering his options.
Barcelona is determined to take advantage of the opportunity and welcome their late leader back to the team for one final fling. The Catalans have reportedly already presented their economic viability plan to La Liga, which is thought to have started the process in that direction. The following step, if given the all-clear, would be to present Messi with a formal contract offer.
For his part, the seven-time Ballon d’Or winner is said to be eager to return to Barcelona and has reportedly instructed the team to do everything possible to make the move happen. Before the season is through, the Argentina captain wants his future to be settled. Mbappe might put a wrench in the works since he wants Messi to stay with him at PSG into the current season, even as the likelihood of a probable transfer to Barcelona is increasing.
The two PSG stars are said to get along well both on and off the game, despite some claims to the contrary, particularly recently while Neymar has been injured.
There were worries that Messi’s World Cup victory over Mbappe’s France in the final may lead to a rift, but that has not happened. They have a strong working relationship, and the Frenchman appreciates the contributions that his senior teammate makes. Messi has a firm renewal offer on the table from PSG, but he has not yet decided what to do. Mbappe, meanwhile, prefers that the Argentine stay at Parc des Princes.
Reece James’ recent match against Chelsea in the UEFA Champions League quarterfinals was a mixed bag for the Englishman, if his performance was any indication
He is after all a possibility for Los Blancos to bolster the right-back position in June. The full-back was put to the ultimate test of containing Vinicius Jr. over two legs, a feat that only a select handful in the history of football have accomplished with success.
At the Santiago Bernabeu, Vini had a performance worthy of the man of the match award, and James found it difficult to contain the Brazilian phenom. He was far more effective last night at Stamford Bridge, though. James executed a remarkable four crucial passes and made 96 touches in 90 minutes against Real Madrid during the second leg.
He made one significant opportunity and had a stunning 97% passing accuracy. The 23-year-old also won five duels that night and finished five of his seven attempted dribbles. Reece James has attracted considerable interest from Barcelona. The Englishman, according to the journalist, would be someone to watch because the right-back has the attention of various club officials.
It might imply that they will face off against Real Madrid immediately. This is a significant development in the midst of the raging fire between the two teams. James’ Chelsea deal runs through the summer of 2028, so any transfer would likely cost a sizable sum of money. In light of Barcelona’s current financial circumstances, Real Madrid is currently in a better position.
Chelsea will be under pressure to let some stars go by June after used the last two transfer windows to sign many players. Real Madrid is interested in utilising this chance and finds it interesting. For a player of his calibre, the rumoured sum, which is around the €50 million range, is undoubtedly a steal. Thus, the competition for James will undoubtedly heat up, and it may even result in a brawl between the two Spanish titans.
While they aren’t yet out of the gloom, at least financially, Barcelona are in a much better position than where they were about two years ago. A very shaky period that was marked by the exit of star players that made Camp Nou a fortress left the Spanish giants badly exposed and there were fears the team would collapse.
The Camp Nou outfit has hit some major lows in the last two seasons, but 2022/23 is somewhat promising, after winning the Super Cup and the team also looks to be on its way to winning the La Liga title.
With this promise of good days ahead has come a wave of optimism at the club and the fans can dare to dream of the good years again. With all the audacity, Barcelona can dare think of bringing back the world’s greatest player, Lionel Messi.
Messi’s return to Barcelona will ideally be great not just for Barcelona but la Liga and Spanish football as a whole. At a time when the Spanish league is no longer a tight contest, and attention switching to other leagues, La Liga would do with such a major catch.
This season the race for the title could end so early courtesy of Barcelona’s dominance and even the predictions on SportyTrader have had the most winning football odds to check every day favoring the Catalan outfit. After 28 matches, they have 73 points – a 13-point gap from the second placed team.
Re-signing Messi would bring just the needed hype, but Barcelona’s needs are far more than that. They have to handle allegations of misconduct with referees as well as issues with their wage structure that have caused them problems with La Liga.
That Barcelona have played in the Europa League in the last two seasons, emphasizes just how much they need a name as big as Messi’s; to turn their fortunes. The heavy consecutive losses to Bayern Munich in the Champions League come into context here, and it has been in five straight matches since 2020. It all started with an 8-2 defeat at home to the German giants in 2020 and the next four meetings with Bayern would see Barcelona concede two or more in each.
If Barcelona can work their financial limitations and comply with La Liga’s financial rules, then getting Messi from PSG should not be a major issue. PSG fans have lately been booing the Argentine and talks over contract renewal have stalled, which means we could go into the summer with Messi as a free agent, again.
While it remains unofficial as yet, Barcelona have already made a move, with Joan Laporta and Messi’s father, who doubles as his agent, being spotted in a meeting in Catalunya. Unofficially still, Messi is said to be open to a return to Barcelona and it is more like a come-get-me plea.
Signing Messi would kick off a busy summer for Barcelona as he would want players to complement his qualities, and that too is a consideration for the La Liga giants in the face of their financial issues.
Ilkay Gundogan is reported to be one of the players Barca would consider if finances allow but Barcelona will know with Gavi deregistered as a first-team player they remain in danger of losing him for free this summer. This all comes at a time when Ronald Araujo and Marcos Alonso had contract extensions but those are yet to be ratified by La Liga.
Another player that Barça needs to accommodate is Ousmane Dembele in the midst of all the contract controversies around Gavi
The forward’s contract will end in 2024, although he has been one of the team’s best players since last year. But despite the fact that the player has a release clause of merely €50 million, his performances have already attracted interest from clubs all around Europe. Dembele’s original release clause is valued at €100 million, but when the transfer market is at its busiest in July and August, it is expected to drop to €50 million.
Barcelona is eager to sign Dembele to a new deal in order to prevent a potential transfer. Fabrizio Romano claims that although formal negotiations on a new contract have not yet started between the Catalans and the player’s agent, a meeting will shortly take place.
Dembele is content with his life in Barcelona, according to Romano. Because he was a key factor in the player’s comeback at Camp Nou, the player’s coach, Xavi Hernandez, is also pleased with the player’s efforts. Currently, the problem is being handled calmly by both parties.
But before other European powerhouses start vying for his services in the upcoming summer, Barcelona must quickly present a renewal offer. Barcelona has plenty of time to organise their finances because the €50 million release clause is not anticipated to become effective before July.
Sergio Busquets declined the Catalans’ generous extension offer, which was only for €7 million a season. Therefore, it becomes sense to assume that the team could not be able to offer Dembele a lucrative contract either, which could cast doubt on the player’s future. Dembele, meanwhile, is currently focused on having a successful season. He has had a difficult year so far due to injuries, but he might be available for the upcoming match against Atletico Madrid.
