La Liga champions Barcelona are interested in signing Rafael Leao from AC Milan despite the fact that they are struggling significantly with their finances.
According to Spanish publication Sport, the Blaugrana view Leao as the sort of player who can inject speed into the team and make a difference in big games, something that they seem to have been missing this season.
Barcelona are effectively out of the title race given they are 10 points behind Real Madrid, and they are also out of the Copa del Rey. Xavi will be leaving the club at the end of the season, so it would not be the most attractive proposition for Leao.
Barcelona are aware of that too, so they know it would be an uphill battle to sign a player who has a long time left on his contract.
They would have absolutely no choice but to sell players if they are to fund a move for Leao given he would cost around €100m.
The likes of Ferran Torres, Jules Kounde, Robert Lewandowski and more have all been signed in recent seasons.
The money could be spent elsewhere, with Everton’s Amadou Onana and Bayern Munich’s Leroy Sane also interesting the Blaugrana.
Since they sold Neymar, Barca is one of the worst run clubs in Europe. Up there with ManUtd and Boehly’s Chelsea.
100%. Sad that some on here want us to be like that.
I expect that Milan will not allow Rafa to leave below 140-150 million. And only teams like Chelsea, Manchester City can afford him.
Than there is also will of player.
I predict he stays for 3 more years. Than he will sign new contract which will allow him to leave in 100+ million transfer.
Disagree. Have we not learned anything from Donnarumma, Kessie and Calhanoglu? What kind of new contract will he sign? He will ask for 10-12m per year. We can’t afford that, unless we have a new stadium, and that won’t come online until 2028 at the earliest, but probably 2029 or even 2030, given how things go in Italy. Leao’s deal expires in 2028, so the summer of 2026 is his shelf life with us, as that’s the last summer of a maxi transfer fee (if not the release clause). If we wait until 2027, he’ll have a year left and then we risk losing him for reduced value if not for free.