Manchester City Offer FC Barcelona Their Transfer Target At A Cut Fee: Reports

Pep Guardiola and Manchester City have offered one of their first team stars and a transfer target for FC Barcelona to the Catalans for a cut fee, according to El Nacional.

Barca are currently closing in on their first La Liga title in four years, which could be sealed as soon as Sunday night if they win away at bitter rivals Espanyol.

Should the Blaugrana clinch the Spanish top flight across town, first team coach Xavi Hernandez will tell several stars including Ansu Fati that the club doesn’t count on them for the 2023/2024 season according to AS.

This means that planning for next term is well underway then, and at the same time Barca will start already trying to offload those that are surplus to requirements, they are also attempting to make reinforcements.

With rumors surrounding Andreas Christensen’s future, the Dane who arrived on a free transfer last year from Chelsea and proved to be one of the bargains of the season could be moved on for a fee in the coming months due to Barca’s financial difficulties.

His potential departure will create a hole on the back line, and while Inigo Martinez could similarly be landed on a free, City have reportedly offered Aymeric Laporte to Barca for a fee of €30 million ($33 million).

Barca’s economic woes might prevent them from meeting even this snip fee, but a loan deal with an option to buy would be more achievable.

The club could obtain the funds if they and the player accept a €30 million-plus-Ruben Neves part exchange deal that will see Ansu Fati head to Wolverhampton Wanderers according to SPORT.

Yet after being burnt with the signings of Eric Garcia and Ferran Torres, Barca president Joan Laporta is reportedly wary of being stung a third time by Guardiola who rarely lets his players go without good reason.

This aside, Barca could still acquire City midfielder Ilkay Gundogan on a free this summer with the 32-year-old having proven on the Mancunian’s run to the Champions League semi-finals that he still has what it takes to operate at the highest level.

Above all, though, Xavi and Laporta would like to snatch away Bernardo Silva from the English champions and might have done that ahead of this season had Frenkie de Jong moved to City’s rivals Manchester United.