Barcelona know that they will have a tough time of securing the pieces they want in the summer, so far declared to be a pivot in midfield, a left winger and the continuity of Joao Felix and Joao Cancelo. However one of the avenues that they will explore, in addition to making major sales is bringing down the price of targets by offering players.
Their top target for the pivot role currently appears to be Everton’s Amadou Onana. The Senegalese is Xavi Hernandez’s top choice and Sporting Director Deco is keen on him too. However the Blaugrana’s €45m limit for a move goes well below the €60m that Everton wants as a minimum for the 22-year-old.
As a result, they will offer the likes of Ansu Fati, Clement Lenglet, Sergino Dest or Fermin Lopez to Everton, as per Sport. The latter has been in inspired form of late, scoring against both Napoli and Atletico Madrid in their best week of the season, and the Catalan daily does go on to say that his intention is to continue at Barcelona come what may.
Onana meanwhile is aware of the interest in him from Barcelona, amid talk that Manchester United and Arsenal could also move for him. He is excited at the prospect of playing for Barcelona, and they will be one of the priorities for him this summer, but he will consider other options.
The Blaugrana have had a number of players in recent summers that have been clearly up for sale, with the priority being to move them on rather than to get value for them. That seems to be the case for Fati, Dest and Lenglet, and as a result, Everton are unlikely to knock down the price of Onana by a significant amount for those players.
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