FC Barcelona who seems to be on the front foot in terms of securing the services of various Portuguese star due to its relationship with Jorge mendez is once again keen on signing another Portuguese star in Raphael Leao. The player who has proven to be one of the best in his position since his arrival from Lille is admired by those in the recruitment department of FC Barcelona, however he does have a release clause of €175M a fee Barcelona find unthinkable to invest in a player despite Leao’s quality.
The Portuguese star is aware of the interest in him through his agent Jorge mendez who has worked on various deal with the Catalan giant since the start of Joan Laporta’s tenure. So then could a compromise be reached? It is believed that the inclusion of a release clause into the contract handed out to Raphael Leao back in 2023 was to ensure the Serie A side get a proper fee for their star player. as fear of losing him to other top European sides within the club grew. So therefore a fee in the range of €70M – €100M accompanied with add-ons is considered sufficient to price the Portuguese star away from the Milan side.
Meanwhile the future of some forwards remain uncertain, sources close to the club deny any news about the sale of Ansu Fati claiming the club is looking forward to his return as they want him to be part of the squad for next season. While Joao Felix is expected to continue at Barcelona accompanied with the arrival of another Left winger, it is difficult to find a place in the squad for Ansu Fati considering how the Spanish youngster has expressed his desire for minutes which led to his loan spell at Brighton. In addition those in Barcelona do confirm a strategy had been put in place to enhance Ansu’s ability through the middle as a result of the player they believe he could turn out to be.
Another uncertainty is the case of Raphinha, it is deemed impossible for FC Barcelona to bring in the likes of Raphael Leao without returning to the 1:1 rule. So therefore the sale of an important player is needed. Due to the emergence of Lamine Yamal and the increased interest in Raphinha, the sale of the Brazilian appears to be a more feasible option to generate the required revenue.
Whilst the recruitment team at Barcelona continue to draft out their targets, no decision is expected to be made without the input of the incoming manager.
