Barcelona to sacrifice wonderkid to fund move for €100m star
Tom Weber
- Updated: 26 Sept 2023 12:58 BST
- 4 min read
"Extraordinary times call for extraordinary measures" seems to have become Barcelona's credo and the latest transfer rumour involving the Catalans may just take the cake.
Barcelona remain mired in financial troubles. Despite LaLiga president Javier Tebas recently praising the work of his Blaugrana counterpart Joan Laporta, there is still uncertainty regarding the club's finances.
Summer loan arrivals Joao Cancelo and Joao Felix have started life in Catalonia like a house on fire, but Barcelona are fearing that these two may almost be too good. As there is no purchase option included in the loans - precisely because of the dire economic situation - they are worried that they won't be able to afford them come next summer.
READ: Barcelona coach Xavi wants to sign €15m Tottenham outcast
In midfield, head coach Xavi wants more reinforcements as Oriol Romeu was always merely a short-term solution to a long-term problem following the departure of Sergio Busquets. Yet nobody really knows whether Barcelona will have the Financial Fair Play wiggle room to sign someone like Guido Rodriguez in January.
Despite all of the above, the Blaugrana are also plotting a move for a player who could cost in excess of €100 million.
Barca want Wirtz
Barcelona are long-time admirers of Bayer Leverkusen star Florian Wirtz. The young German is one of the biggest talents the Bundesliga has produced in recent years and the expectation is that Leverkusen won't sell unless an offer north of €100m comes in.
Recent reports in Spain reiterated Barcelona's interest in Wirtz even though there is no way the club could afford him in the current circumstances. However, the reports also claimed that Barcelona have hatched a plan to make a deal possible.
MORE: Barcelona’s 10 biggest sales of all time
Apparently, the Catalan giants would be prepared to sell 19-year-old wonderkid Gavi in order to fund a move for Wirtz. Since the German would compete for Gavi's position anyway, Barcelona would simply replace the latter with the former rather than utilising both.
Earlier in the year, Gavi clocked in as the most valuable teenager in the world according to FootballTransfers Estimated Transfer Value (ETV) model, yet the midfielder can't match the offensive output of the more attack-minded Wirtz, who already boasts three goals and three assists in seven games this term.
Taking this into account, Barcelona's supposed willingness to move Gavi on may be as outlandish as it seems.
