Barcelona are running out of time to ensure they get all of their business done in the transfer market. It could start working against them.
The Blaugrana had hoped to strengthen the full-back spots this summer but currently the number one priority is to ensure that Jules Kounde is registered as soon as possible.
As such, the next and most important step is raising cash from sales in order to at least register Kounde and it appears that the sale of Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang is the most likely deal to do that for them.
Barcelona and Chelsea are locked in negotiations for the veteran currently, as time ticks on towards the end of the transfer window. Italian transfer guru Fabrizio Romano recently analysed the deal on his exclusive Substack for Caught Offside.
“I believe that this Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang deal is a strategy game.”
“Chelsea know Barcelona need to sell to register Jules Kounde and don’t want to spend more than £15m (€17.82m) plus add-ons, Barca know Auba is Thomas Tuchel’s priority choice and are asking €30m.”
“I believe that €20m would be a fair price for an important striker considering that we are one week from the end of the transfer market; he is the right player for Tuchel who already knows Auba – a star player for him when they were at Borussia Dortmund.”
Certainly it seems fair to put the negotiations down to who blinks first. Theoretically Barcelona have more of a reason to do so, given they will want to register Kounde before this weekend.
There is also relatively little consensus on exactly how much Barcelona need in order to register Kounde, which will play into the matter heavily. Barcelona will be hoping to solve their registration issues with this deal rather than relying on other transfers to work out.
