FC Barcelona have not exactly had the most ideal transfer window thus far this summer. While the Catalan giants had some very specific summer targets, they have been unable to guarantee their arrivals thus far. The special consideration that Barcelona had for their priority target also seems to not be working out.
Nico Williams, the 22-year-old Athletic Club star that Barcelona considered as their biggest priority this summer, is gradually moving away from the club. Instead, more reports are beginning to come out suggesting skepticism about his arrival and they suspect he will end up staying at his current club.
Another option that Barcelona does still have, however, is that of Dani Olmo. The 26-year-old RB Leipzig star is the man that Barça had as their secondary priority previously, but he has now become their key target given that Nico Williams now looks to be an almost impossible dream.
However, to ensure that even Olmo does not slip away, Barcelona have accelerated their pursuit. Their previous offer was reportedly rejected by the Bundesliga outfit, but Barcelona have now sent an improved offer that is much closer to what Leipzig wants, according to SPORT.
This new proposal that Barça has sent featured a €50 million fixed payment that will be accompanied by €15 million in variables. With much more achievable variables now included, it will be relatively easier for RB Leipzig to gain access to that additional amount as well according to the report.
It is clear to see that this offer is much better than the €40 million fixed and €20 million variables offer that Barça previously sent to the German outfit. Instead, this new offer has the potential to be accepted by RB Leipzig given that they are running out of time as well.
Once this deal goes through, the German club would finally get the chance to find an adequate replacement for Olmo as well. The €60 million-rated Spanish star wants to join Barcelona and that is no secret, but the report states that Leipzig prefers this option as well over the interest from Bayern Munich, a domestic rival.
With Barcelona hoping to announce a signing during the preseason tour, it would appear that Olmo’s arrival seems the most likely at the moment. Nico Williams still has not given his final decision, but Barça cannot afford to keep waiting on a player who has not been too responsive recently.