The pursuit of a new forward signing for FC Barcelona continues to go on late into the transfer window. As it stands, just a few days remain for every team to reinforce their squads before the chance slips by. For Barcelona, time is an even bigger enemy due to their own limitations.
Besides Dani Olmo, the Catalan club has not made any new additions to the first team. As for departures, that number only continues to grow this summer as more and more players continue to depart from Barcelona. Ultimately, the major reasoning behind those departures remains the financial crisis at the club.
Ilkay Gundogan is set to leave for free and return to former side Manchester City, while Mikayil Faye’s departure to French side Rennes FC has also reportedly been agreed upon and should provide some useful funds to the Catalan club. At the moment, the priority for Barcelona remains the arrival of a new left-winger.
According to SPORT, however, that player will most likely be Juventus forward Federico Chiesa. Moreover, thanks to the Mikayil Faye operation, Chiesa’s case is now unblocked and Barcelona will reportedly send an initial bid worth €9 million fixed and another €4 million in variables to Juventus.
While the response that Barcelona will end up getting from the Serie A side is still unknown, it is a good first step for the Catalan giants. Chiesa is no longer considered a key part of the Juventus setup under new coach Thiago Motta, and this has allowed Barça to isolate him as a very competitive target who could arrive for a low price.
As per previous reports, the Chiesa deal will likely not reach very high figures and Barcelona will eventually manage to get him for an affordable price. However, the reality of things can often be completely different and that is why the Catalan club must make their final days in the market count as they look to acquire the winger.
Rafael Leao was another option that was reportedly linked to a possible move to Barcelona, but AC Milan’s CEO has recently snuffed out that flame altogether. Either way, Leao’s operation would have been unfeasible for La Blaugrana given the finances that would have been involved.
