Barcelona have a clear plan for this summer and are taking concrete steps to make it a reality.
The first step is to finalise one of the two agreements approved by the members during Thursday’s Assembly, something necessary to avoid losses at the end of the year and to increase the fair play margin.
Furthermore, the club are attempting to reduce the wage bill. With these conditions, the club will be able to approach the transfer window with confidence, since they have five names on the table. Robert Lewandowski, Raphinha, Jules Kounde, Marcos Alonso, and Cesar Azpilicueta are the top targets.
However, the Catalan club will have to pay a fee for each one of them. These reinforcements, should they arrive, will join the already signed Franck Kessie and Andreas Christensen.
Robert Lewandowski
He is the summer window’s top target. Bayern Munich are aware that he will have to negotiate his exit sooner or later because the club have stated openly that it wants to sign him, and the player has let himself be wanted and has made bows to the club.
The Pole is now on vacation while waiting for news. He has stated multiple times that his time with the German club is over. Xavi needs a goalscorer, and the Pole is one of a kind in this regard. The 33-year-old, who will be 34 in August, finished last season with his all-time high of 50 goals in all competitions.
Raphinha
The player has known for months that if Ousmane Dembele does not renew his contract with Barcelona, he will be the first choice. The Brazilian still hopes to play at Camp Nou and is waiting for the club to make a decision. Leeds United, on the other hand, want to earn money for their star, and the Catalan officials will have to bargain, as he only had a 25 million termination clause if the club was relegated, a situation that did not occur.
Jules Kounde
The central defender is on Barcelona’s radar to bolster the defence, but the negotiations with Sevilla are not likely to be easy. The Andalusians are not in a rush to sell their most valued player, and Pablo Monchi is looking for at least 65 million euros. Furthermore, the defender’s contract has two years left on it, so there is no rush to move him out of the Estadio Sanchez Pizjuan. He also had surgery on June 14 for a pubis ailment he had been suffering with for months.
Marcos Alonso
Barcelona will have to negotiate with Chelsea in this scenario. The left-back is keen to return to LaLiga, but his future will be determined by the English club. The fact that he is under contract until 2023, aside from the player’s desire, is an advantage for Barcelona. As a result, this would be the final summer in which the Blues may recoup some of their investment in Marcos Alonso. Furthermore, Chelsea are keen on Marc Cucurella, a sign that the club is already planning for a future without Marcos Alonso.
Cesar Azpilicueta
The player has gone on vacation without any update from Barcelona. His case is somewhat more peculiar than that of his current teammate Marcos Alonso. The Navarrese player had a promise from Chelsea’s previous owners that he could leave for free, but a clause in his contract was fulfilled and he was automatically renewed. The new owners are not willing to let him escape at zero cost and, in that case, we will have to see how far Barcelona are willing to go.
