Barcelona are going to strengthen their midfield in the summer with two signings. One is Manchester City’s Ilkay Gundogan and the other is Fiorentina’s Sofyan Amrabat.
Barcelona are contemplating these two midfielders on different merits. As far as Gundogan is concerned, his contract with City ends at the end of the season, meaning that apart from the operational costs, he will arrive on a free transfer. For the moment, however, reaching a financial agreement with the footballer is hindering progress.
Amrabat, on the other hand, will be bought purely on the ground of his physical brute. For the moment, Mateu Alemany, who is in his last months at Barcelona, is devising a clear path for Amrabat’s arrival with certain financial limits.
According to SPORT, the team from Catalonia is clear about the idea that they do not wish to pay more than €25 million plus add-ons for the Fiorentina midfielder, especially after knowing that even the player wants to move to Camp Nou.
Now, it must be noted that Xavi has asked for the arrival of a pivot and while his personal liking is still towards Martin Zubimendi, Barça just cannot go ahead with this operation given his €60 million release clause.
This means Amrabat’s profile is perfect for his task. The 26-year-old, who was close to signing for Barcelona in January, is known for his imposing physical strength and this is exactly what the manager is looking for in his next pivot.
In January, Barcelona approached Fiorentina with a six-month loan deal with a purchase option for €40 million. The Serie A side refused Barça’s approach and now the Blaugrana have no intention to pay that price for Amrabat.
The 26-year-old has offers from several top European teams, but Barcelona want him to prioritize playing for them and find a way to convince Fiorentina to let him leave this summer.
By the end of this season, Amrabat will have one year left on his contract, and Barcelona are hopeful of striking an economically beneficial agreement to sign him.
As for Fiorentina, they want to get more out of his sale especially since several Premier League teams are in the race too, but Barcelona have no plan to go crazy on this issue as their financial situation is already weak. Amidst all this, Amrabat’s stand would be key to Barcelona’s hopes.
