Lewandowski, Raphinha, Bernardo – Barcelona’s transfer window risks falling apart
Suraj Radia
- 21 Jun 2022 19:50 BST
- 3 min read
Barcelona could endure yet another twist in their summer transfer window rollercoaster as their pursuits for key targets hit another bump in the road.
The likes of Robert Lewandowski, Bernardo Silva and Raphinha have been identified as priority signings but Barca's failure in closing the deals could see the transfers collapse altogether.
The club have been desperately trying to restructure their finances in order to fund their ambitious transfer plans and have agreed to sell a portion of their merchandising company in order to receive a windfall of up to €300 million.
However, the Spanish side's delay in securing funding has led to teams and players growing impatient and moving on with their transfer plans, potentially leaving Barca stranded.
With the club's targets and financial disarray no secret to the football world, the failure to land their desired players could see Barcelona's transfer window plans destroyed in front of their very eyes.
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Barcelona have had personal terms agreed with Lewandowski for months but they have yet to meet Bayern Munich's asking price for the 33-year-old, leading to Paris Saint-Germain making an approach for the Pole.
Lewandowski had previously stated he was only interested in Barcelona but Bayern Munich have refused to be low-balled on any offer, allowing PSG to try their luck at hijacking the move.
Should Barca fail to land Lewandowski, it would be an unreserved disaster as the club do not appear to have a backup and have spent the last few months conducting a public pursuit for him.
Meanwhile, Manchester City's Silva has long-been admired by Barca boss Xavi but the English side have shown no indication they are willing to sell their star midfielder.
City are reluctant to lose another first team player with the impending exits of Raheem Sterling and Gabriel Jesus and may resist any offers despite Barca considering making a €75m bid.
PSG are set to HIJACK Robert Lewandowski from Barcelona 😯
That's according to growing reports in France 👀
The Pirates strike again! 🏴☠️ pic.twitter.com/V4MF5OWa0f— Football Transfers (@Transfersdotcom) June 21, 2022
Leeds winger Raphinha was thought to have his heart set on a switch to Barcelona but he has grown frustrated at their failure to push ahead with a move and he is now close to a move to Arsenal.
Jules Kounde is another target who Barca may miss out on as the defender may prove to be too expensive, with Sevilla holding out for a fee in excess of €70m.
While Barcelona still have opportunities to sign all these players, the change in mood could represent a precarious situation for the club.
The public nature of their pursuits has left other sides irritated, particularly because Barcelona's financial restrictions have been the primary source of delays.
And the Catalan side could be forced into tearing up plans for their entire transfer window should the deals collapse, leaving their summer in a precarious position.
