Barcelona have made a decision on their first signing for next summer, according to recent reports in Catalonia. Moroccan central defender Chadi Riad looks as if he will be returning to the club after spending the season on loan at Real Betis.
Betis have a buy option on 50% of Riad’s rights to the tune of €3.5m. The Andalusian side were set to exercise that option, but Sport claim that Barcelona have already decided to use their €7m buyback clause, which will see them retain 50% of any sale on Riad.
🚨 Decision made: Barcelona will bring Chadi Riad back to the club with the buy-back option of €7m. @sport 🇲🇦 pic.twitter.com/sjwCYGUtVi
— barcacentre (@barcacentre) December 25, 2023
MD say that Betis are yet to receive notice of Barcelona’s intentions, which is a discrepancy with the initial report, but already it appears to be having knock-on effects. Riad’s arrival reportedly means that Barcelona will sell another of their central defenders.
Riad has become a starter at Real Betis following the exit of Luiz Felipe and an injury to Marc Bartra that has kept him out for months. With only German Pezzella and emergency veteran addition Sokratis Papasthatopoulos as alternatives, Manuel Pellegrini has made Riad a fixture in defence.
While it might be frustrating to lose one of their better defenders, it will be a quick profit Betis. They will make €3.5m for one season of Riad immediately, and could be in for a larger payday down the line. Barcelona must believe that Riad can either be of use to them next season, or can be a lucrative sale, but due to La Liga rules, he cannot be sold on in the same window.
