In the year of symbolic transfers, of balances with the payroll, of spinning thinner than ever with the amortizations of the players and of exploiting to the maximum the complicities with certain clubs and representatives in search of such profitable agreements in the section sporting and sustainable financially, Barça is on the verge of closing an operation that, at the very least, could be called original. Pandemic times do not cease to offer surprises and unusual solutions.
After selling Ivan Rakitic, Luis Suárez and Arturo Vidal in exchange for little more than a considerable salary saving, the Barça club now intends to recruit Sergiño Dest with a payment formula that will allow him to defer much of the expenditure until the summer next. Nélson Semedo left Wolverhampton a few days ago in exchange for 30 million plus 10 in variables, an amount that will largely go directly to the transfer match of the 20/21 closure, the latter of which will be responsible for the current directive (as long as you don’t miss the no-confidence motion and have to fold early). However, the arrival of the Portuguese winger’s substitute will not have a full impact on the entity’s accounts until the 21/22 financial year. In other words, if the talks with Ajax move in the direction that Barça’s offices want, Dest will land in Catalonia in the next few hours to take orders from Ronald Koeman, but it will be the next board that wins. the elections, the one in charge of paying the totality of his signing, once the young soccer player has disputed his first season in the Camp Nou.
“Ajax is willing to defer payment, so we hope to close the deal between today and tomorrow,” sources in the negotiations told ARA just yesterday afternoon, in the same way that they did not specify, on a total of 25 million, what part of the amount to be paid would be fixed and what variable. However, what already seems clear, as Catalunya Ràdio said, is that the first payment, which will be made in the coming days, will be rather symbolic, a kind of payment and signal that would not have been possible if between the Barça and Ajax would not have excellent relations. The business of some time ago to dress Barça’s Frenkie Jong left a very good taste in the mouth on both sides.
Tracking the signing of the young Dest through this short-term savings formula gives Barça more financial leeway to meet other needs. Because Koeman, aside from a right-back, has also called for a center-back to complete the line (and just push Umtiti and Todibo to find equipment) and a striker to fill Suarez’s hole and Braithwaite’s desired exit. For the first goal the virtually unique option is Eric Garcia, for whom Manchester City do not negotiate below 20 million. And for the second, given that lowering Inter Milan’s claims for Lautaro Martinez is very difficult, Memphis Depay, from Olympique de Lyon, has been playing for weeks. From this week it will not happen that these soap operas are solved: the market closes on Monday next week.
Porto looks at Riqui Puig
The activity will be interesting in the chapter of entrances, but also in the one of exits. Beyond the cases already mentioned of Umtiti, Todibo and Braithwaite, Barça also has to manage what will happen to Rafinha, Júnior, Aleñá or Riqui Puig. The first is still without offers, the second could receive them on the horn to get a transfer that would offset the expense of a year ago (minus the amortization), and the two of the plant see how there are teams that offer to go on loan . According to the newspaper Record, one of those interested in Puig is Porto, but for now the Vallès man remains firm in the idea of staying at Barça.
.
