Barcelona beat Chelsea to seal first transfer of the summer – Fabrizio Romano

Robin Bairner

• 12 Jun 2023 07:54 BST
• 3 min read

Barcelona have been given Fabrizio Romano’s famous ‘here we go!’ message ahead of a completing a deal to sign Mikayil Faye from NK Kustosija.

Barca have been beset by financial problems, which have prevented them from re-signing Lionel Messi and complicated their operations in the summer transfer market, but according to Romano, they will complete a €5 million deal for Faye. Bonuses will be applied on top of this figure.

Chelsea and Borussia Dortmund were also interested in the Senegalese defender, who will turn 19 in July.

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Faye is primarily a centre-back who features for Croatian side Kustosija. He is also capable of operating on the left of defence, too.

Despite his age, he has become a regular fixture in the starting XI of the side that is presently in a relegation playoff to avoid dropping down to the third tier of Croatian football. In total, he has turned out 14 times for the struggling club, with his side keeping five clean sheets in these games.

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What role will Faye play at Barcelona?

Barcelona have signed Faye, Romano reports, as a prospect for the future.

Given his lack of senior experience and a significant level, he is liable to drop into the ‘B’ team to gain experience in the immediate future, with his first-team prospects dependent on how he matures at that standing.

Meanwhile, Xavi continues to work on drafting players into the first-team squad, with Manchester City’s Ilkay Gundogan expected to join up on a free transfer imminently after helping Pep Guardiola’s side claim the treble.

Barcelona, though, face the difficulty of having to sell players before they can sign new stars as Financial Fair Play dictates that they must clear space on their wage bill in order to add to their squad or even renew the contracts of their existing players.