Barring any twists and turns, FC Barcelona will look to reinforce in the summer window. The Catalan giants are far from satisfied with this season’s outcome, and they hope for much more next season. Moreover, with their rivals bolstering their squads even further, Barcelona do not wish to be left behind.
With new head coach Hansi Flick now on board, Barcelona hope to make it clear that their targets will change here and there as well. From among the many names that the new Barcelona coach has on his agenda, one that stands out in the right-back position is that of Bayer Leverkusen star Jeremie Frimpong.
Aged 23 and with potential that knows no boundaries, the Dutch fullback is a player with a lot of quality. He proved it with Xabi Alonso’s Leverkusen this season, winning a domestic double with the record-breaking German team. However, while Barcelona may want him, they have some overwhelming financial hurdles to overcome.
Yet, there may just be a way to make Frimpong’s signing more affordable. As mentioned by SPORT, there is the possibility of including other players into a possible deal for the 23-year-old Dutch right-back, and Barcelona may have some names that could interest the Bundesliga club.
One of those names could be that of Spanish forward Ansu Fati. The 21-year-old La Masia product, having just spent his most recent season on loan at Brighton, is a player that reportedly intrigues Leverkusen.
Moreover, the German club has already sent a proposal for him as well, one that offers the chance for him to be loaned to the Bundesliga Champions or even for a permanent transfer in the €10-15 million region.
As highlighted by David Bernabeu, Frimpong’s current valuation as per Transfermarkt is around €50 million. Using this and matching up a player to be involved in the deal could possibly reduce the asking price and allow Barcelona to make the operation more feasible for them.
However, from what is being reported at the moment, Fati has no intention of leaving Barcelona just yet. At the very least, he hopes to play under Hansi Flick in the upcoming pre-season for Barcelona and try to prove that he could be a reliable asset for the new German coach.
Moreover, the current plethora of fullbacks that Barcelona is expected to have next season also does not make things easy. Alejandro Balde is expected to return, and Julian Araujo could be a possible addition. Even the case of Joao Cancelo is up in the air, with Barcelona possibly looking to extend his loan by one more season.
