Barcelona’s transfer plans: Antoine Griezmann and Matthijs de Ligt in, Philippe Coutinho out?
League champions, but a treble dream failed to materialise. Will Barcelona look to put that right in the summer transfer window?
Barcelona may have won La Liga, but they fell short of another treble four years on from their last, capitulating against Liverpool in the Champions League semi-finals before losing the Copa del Rey final to Valencia.
There will be changes, president Josep Bartomeu confirmed, and it appears Ernesto Valverde will remain in charge to oversee the transformation.
Valverde looked on the brink of leaving as head coach, but, as reported in Wednesday’s Euro Papers, the support of key players – including Lionel Messi and Gerard Pique – means he now looks set to prepare for a third season in charge.
And Valverde’s first port of call this summer? Recruitment…
De Jong confirmed – De Ligt and Griezmann to follow?
Barcelona moved early to sign 22-year-old Frenkie de Jong, announcing in January he would arrive from Ajax on July 1 for a fee of £65m (€75m) with a further £9.5m (€11m) in add-ons.
And after reportedly beating Paris Saint-Germain and Manchester City to his signature, Barcelona appear to be frontrunners to bring one of De Jong’s club and international teammates to the Nou Camp as well.
Matthijs de Ligt captained Ajax to a league and cup double, and Sky Sports News understands the 19-year-old is close to joining Barcelona.
Barcelona have also been deemed favourites to sign Antoine Griezmann after the Frenchman announced he would be leaving Atletico Madrid this summer.
Griezmann almost joined Barca last year before releasing a documentary which confirmed his Atletico stay – but ultimately only for another 12 months.
Sky Sports News reported Barcelona were set to pay his £108m release clause, but reports in Spain suggest the move is in doubt, with Manchester City also said to be interested.
Who might leave the Nou Camp?
Philippe Coutinho, Samuel Umtiti, Malcom, and Andre Gomes are among the high-profile players linked with summer exits.
Barca reject West Ham’s £18m Gomes bid
Coutinho has endured a difficult 18 months at the Nou Camp since joining from Liverpool for £146m. The Brazilian has been subjected to jeers from his own supporters, while his celebration against Manchester United in April – whereby he put his fingers in his ears after scoring – was a clear response to his critics.
The prospect of Griezmann arriving at Barca does not mean Coutinho will leave, the player’s agent insisted, while the 26-year-old still has four years remaining on his contract, which includes a €400m buyout clause.
South American football expert Tim Vickery told Sky Sports News: „The most logical place for him to come, surely, would be the Premier League. He did very well at Liverpool, and remember that relationship he had with Pochettino at Espanyol. Is there a little light flashing there?“
Meanwhile, reports in Spain claim Arsenal are among the clubs interested in Umtiti, with the defender likely to become available to make room for De Ligt.
Back in April, Ivan Rakitic spoke of his intention to see out the remaining three years on his contract amid speculation Manchester United and Inter Milan were interested in the Croatian midfielder.
Hints from the manager…
Valverde has remained relatively tight-lipped on any potential transfer activity, perhaps an indication at the uncertainty of his own future, but he did admit there had been contact regarding Griezmann before the Copa del Rey final.
„It is true we have already made contacts,“ Valverde said. „It is true that contacts are ongoing, but the season isn’t over yet. We have the Copa Del Rey final still to play. We have the chance of winning two titles and we must try to focus on this issue.
„Afterwards we will have time for everything else – we won’t say anything new when we are talking about players from other teams. We will see.“
What are the local media predicting?
Barcelona-based paper Sport claim the club could be willing to sell 22-year-old forward Ousmane Dembele, should a tempting offer arrive.
Sport writes: „Leaving to one side his inconsistent form and injuries, his behaviour has not been that of an elite footballer. His mistakes and his eccentricities have tested the club’s patience. They are fed up of his lifestyle off the pitch, and wouldn’t have many doubts if they received a good offer.“
Having signed Dembele for £97m plus £38m in add-ons two years ago, it is unclear what would constitute as an acceptable offer for the Frenchman.
And after just one year at the club, Sport reports Barcelona would like to recover as much of the €41m fee paid for Malcom as possible as they look to offload the winger.
Sport are also reporting that Barcelona are in advanced talks with Valencia over buying Spain international striker Rodrigo Moreno.
Barca are keen to add reinforcements in attack and may offer a player – potentially Jasper Cillessen or Denis Suarez – as part of the deal.
Follow the Summer Transfer Window on Sky Sports
As well as keeping an eye on Sky Sports News, make sure you don’t miss a thing with our dedicated Transfer Centre blog.
There’s also the return of the Transfer Talk Podcast, the daily UK, Regional and European Paper Talk, plus features across skysports.com and the Sky Sports App.
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