The clubs of the Saudi Pro League are watching with intrigue for any opportunity to pounce on Barcelona in what potentially can become the biggest transfer raid of the summer.
As reported by Diario Sport, officials from a number of the bigger Saudi clubs have flown to Catalonia to discuss mega-deals for some of Barcelona’s key players.
The offers planned to be presented will be eye-watering, both in terms of transfer fees and wages, putting Barcelona in a difficult position of weighing up the need for the money against their sporting ambitions.
The Saudi officials have already spoken with Barcelona’s sporting department, probing the availability of players deemed essential to Hansi Flick’s project.
Although getting rid of some of their most prominent stars would not be the best choice for the club, the potential size of some of the deals, with some looking to offer nearly triple the players’ current salaries, is enough to make anyone rethink.
As Barcelona continues to be in a financially precarious position, they will need to consider throwing caution to the wind.
One of the main targets is Raphinha.
Talks to renew his contract have stalled because of differences over wage and duration, and Al Hilal is ready to submit a tempting offer that would see the Brazilian earning considerably more.
Al Nassr has an interest in Jules Kounde and Ronald Araujo, but Barcelona is clear that these players are not for sale.
Andreas Christensen could be a more realistic option for the Saudi club.
In the next few weeks, we can expect Barcelona to weigh these lucrative options and offers against their sporting objectives.
Selling key players can alleviate financial pressure, but doing so risks destabilizing Flick’s project.
With Saudi clubs willing to spend, Barcelona need to decide whether to take the money or stick to their guns and drive to remain competitive in the upper echelon of the sport.
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