Madrid, July 29 (IANS) Holders FC Barcelona are training in England as Hansi Flick’s side continues preparations for the new La Liga season in which they will defend their title.
It has been a relatively quiet summer at the Camp Nou. Robert Lewandowski has left after his contract expired, while Joao Cancelo and Marcus Rashford have returned to their parent clubs after their loan spells ended.
Removing Lewandowski’s salary from the wage bill has given Barcelona greater financial flexibility than in recent years. The club has already signed England winger Anthony Gordon from Newcastle United and Germany forward Karim Adeyemi from Borussia Dortmund as they look to refresh an attack that will again be built around Lamine Yamal, reports Xinhua.
However, Barcelona still appear to have significant work to do before opening their league title defence away to Elche on August 23, with both further arrivals and departures expected before the transfer window closes.
Barcelona would like to bring Cancelo back, but first has to negotiate with his current club, Al-Hilal. If a deal cannot be reached, the Spanish champion is expected to pursue another full-back. Hector Fort impressed during a loan spell at Elche before a shoulder injury cut short his campaign, and the versatile defender will have the chance to prove he deserves a place in Flick’s first-team squad.
Racing Santander full-back Jorge Salinas has also been linked with Barcelona, although the Segunda Division club is reportedly reluctant to sell one of its academy products. Julian Alvarez remains Barcelona’s priority attacking target. The club has made no secret of its admiration for the Argentina forward, who has also indicated he wants to leave Atletico Madrid.
Atletico have reacted angrily to Barcelona’s public pursuit of Alvarez, insisting any deal would require the Catalan club to meet the striker’s reported 500 million euro (570 million U.S. dollar) release clause.
One possible compromise could involve Ferran Torres moving in the opposite direction as part of the deal. Torres enhanced his reputation with Spain during the World Cup and has yet to agree a new contract with Barcelona, increasing speculation over his future.
Several departures also appear increasingly likely. Swedish winger Roony Bardghji faces an uncertain future following the arrival of Gordon and Adeyemi, with Barcelona expected to consider either a loan move or a permanent transfer that includes a buyback clause.
Left-back Alejandro Balde has not developed as quickly as expected over the past two seasons, and Barcelona are reportedly willing to listen to offers as it looks to raise funds for further signings.
Midfielder Marc Casado is in a similar position after slipping behind Marc Bernal in the pecking order. Casado could command a significant transfer fee and may leave before the end of August, even though Frenkie de Jong is expected to miss the opening months of the season with a knee injury.
The futures of Marc-Andre ter Stegen and Ronald Araujo are less straightforward, but Barcelona would benefit financially from resolving both situations given their status among the club’s highest earners.
Ter Stegen has slipped down the goalkeeping hierarchy following the arrival of Joan Garcia, while Araujo endured an injury-hit campaign that was also disrupted by mental health issues.
–IANS
bsk/
