Barcelona are set on making at least one big signing this summer, and it could scarcely be more well-documented: Nico Williams is their number one target. Despite President Joan Laporta claiming they are capable of making that outlay for Williams as things stand, there has been no transparency on the club’s finances, nor suggestion that they are activating his €58m release clause.
Most media reporting on the matter continues to claim that Barcelona must make sales this summer. The Blaugrana had planned on one of those sales being Ansu Fati, Frenkie de Jong, Ronald Araujo or Raphinha, but the only one still remotely possible is the Brazilian. The other three are all now injured, and Raphinha remains adamant that he is staying in Catalonia.
Their next step has been to look at potential alternatives they can sell, and Sport say they are trying to test the waters with Ilkay Gundogan, to see if he might be interested in a move to Al-Sadd in Qatar, or Saudi Arabia, the two options that have arisen. Any money made from a sale would be straight profit after he arrived on a free, and he is one of the higher salaries in the squad too.
Ig story Lamine Yamal. pic.twitter.com/UQtBbpV46n
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Gundogan has no intention to leave as things stand say Sport, and the German veteran even discussed the coming season with new coach Hansi Flick earlier this summer. The 33-year-old is set to return from his holidays to travel with the squad for their preseason tour to the USA on Sunday. They say that in all likelihood, he will be part of Flick’s squad next summer.
Last season Gundogan gave out more assists than anyone at Barcelona, and a number of key ones too. It has so far been presumed that Barcelona will play a rough 4-2-3-1 system next season, and many have projected Gundogan playing behind Robert Lewandowski, although that would also be the role earmarked for Pedri. Prior reports from the same source have claimed Gundogan will not necessarily be a guaranteed starter for Flick.
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