Stars across Europe dream of joining the elites such as FC Barcelona; clubs that have a storied history and pedigree associated with their names. Despite the economic difficulties of the Blaugrana club, it continues to remain just as attractive an institute as ever.
This is perhaps even more noticeable by the fact that they are able to acquire world-class talents such as Robert Lewandowski, Jules Kounde, Raphinha, Joao Cancelo, Ilkay Gundogan, and others despite their well-documented financial troubles.
Moreover, according to Spanish outlet Mundo Deportivo, two superstars from England and Germany have both put in a lowered release clause in their new contract renewals specifically keeping FC Barcelona in mind and La Blaugrana’s rather vulnerable economic state.
The stars in question are Manchester City midfielder Bernardo Silva and RB Leipzig attacking midfielder Dani Olmo. Both players have been heavily linked to FC Barcelona in recent times and it seems that both of them are reportedly still eager to join.
In the case of Bernardo Silva, now 29 years old, the Portuguese star was quite close to joining Barcelona this summer as he had no problems on a personal level with the agreement but saw that City and Barca could not come to terms with each other on the basis of a transfer fee or structure.
Barcelona had proposed an initial loan deal for Bernardo Silva that would end with a buy clause, whether obligatory or optional, worth around €50 million reportedly. However, this was rejected by City this summer and hence Silva himself has found a new solution to it.
Renewing with Manchester City until 2026 now, the Portuguese star has included a release clause of around £50 million, which equals close to €58 million when converted, into his new contract that already has an improved financial package for the 29-year-old.
In the case of Dani Olmo however, the new renewal is set to keep him with RB Leipzig until 2027 but also includes a release clause of €60 million in his new deal, almost the same as the one included by Bernardo Silva in his new Manchester City contract.
The one thing that works in the favour of Olmo however, is his age. Still only 25, he offers a lot of versatility and has honed his own craft to a great degree. Able to play almost anywhere along the front line as well as provide great quality as a false winger, something Xavi may quite appreciate given his tendency to rely on a structure that utilizes a false winger.
Moreover, the Spaniard also has previous experience in Barcelona during his youth days, possessing a strong understanding of the Barcelona positional play and the club’s systematic learnings.
As such, it will be interesting to see how Barcelona goes about their business next summer, as both stars will be available for around €60 million each if their release clause is to be addressed, a valuation that is lower than what both RB Leipzig and Manchester City value their stars at currently.
