Barcelona plan raid for €100m Arsenal and Man Utd target

Robin Bairner

• 22 May 2024 08:55 BST
• 5 min read

Barcelona are ready to step up their chase for Valencia’s Javi Guerra but face stern competition for a player who has been linked with a move to Premier League giants Arsenal and Manchester United.

Sport indicates that Barca are chasing a potential summer deal for the 21-year-old Guerra and have already made contact with Valencia over a potential deal.

Sporting director Deco is understood to be a fan of the player’s versatility and his ability to “project” himself in games.

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But the situation is likely to be outside of Barcelona’s control due to their cash-strapped situation, which will force them to make one or even two big sales before spending significant transfer fees.

Guerra, after all, has a release clause of €100 million, and even if he is unlikely to move for this price, competition from Arsenal and Man Utd puts the Catalans firmly on the back foot if it came to a bidding war for the player.

This has been the midfielder’s first season in Valencia’s first team, during which he has played 39 matches in total, scoring four goals and adding one assist.

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Guerra: a midfielder who can do everything

Guerra a growing talent

Speaking in the autumn, Valencia sporting director Miguel Angel Corona said: “We are fully aware that we have a player with enormous potential for the future and the ability to perform at a good level now.

“That is why the club have decisively moved him up to the first team in recent months. It is not in our plans to sell him to any club.”

Guerra’s transfer fee has seen an incredible leap over the course of the last 12 months.

His Estimated Transfer Value was negligible this time last year, but he is now rated at €20.7m.

With a contract that runs until 2027, Valencia are under no pressure to sell their hottest prospect, which spells trouble for Barca.