BARCELONA want to use “key piece” Nelson Semedo to help secure the signing of Neymar, Lautaro Martinez or Joao Cancelo, according to reports.
The LaLiga leaders have plenty of big names on their summer transfer wish list.
Reports suggest Barcelona are willing to use “key piece” Nelson Semedo as part of a transfer deal this summer
Neymar is the No1 priority for the Catalan giants who want to bring him back from PSGCredit: Getty – Contributor
But with the coronavirus crisis likely to reduce club’s available cash to spend, more and more sides will be looking at using players in swap deals.
And according to Mundo Deportivo, Barcelona plan to use Semedo as a makeweight in one of three deals the Catalans are trying to secure this summer.
The Portuguese full-back, 26, moved to the Nou Camp from Benfica in 2017 and has made 111 appearances for the club.
But it looks as though they are willing to sacrifice him in order to land their primary targets.
He still has two years left on his current contract but with a release clause of around £87million, it is unlikely Barcelona will sell him to raise cash funds.
They therefore may opt to use him as part of a transfer deal.
Barcelona’s No1 priority is bringing Neymar back to the Nou Camp, three years after selling the Brazilian to Paris Saint-Germain for a world-record fee.
He would need to take a major pay cut if he returned to Barca but would have the chance to reunite with Lionel Messi and Luis Suarez in attack.
Inter striker Martinez has also attracted plenty of interest this season, including from the Spanish giants.
His release clause is thought to be worth around £96m but an offer of cash plus Semedo could tempt the San Siro side to sell.
However, out of Neymar and Martinez, captain Messi would reportedly prefer Neymar.
A club source told Spanish radio station Cadena Ser: “If he had to choose between Lautaro and Neymar, it’s obvious Leo Messi prefers the Brazilian.”
Another player on Barcelona’s radar is Manchester City full-back Joao Cancelo.
The defender, 25, arrived at the Etihad from Juventus last summer as part of a transfer that saw Danilo go the other way and still has five years to run on his mammoth deal.
Barcelona are prepared to offer Nelson Semedo – who returned to training on Wednesday morning for the first time since March 13 – as a bargaining chip for a straight swap.
Semedo and Cancelo are international team-mates for Portugal but it is the Barcelona man enjoying this season far more.
He played 25 times before the suspension and is the first-choice right-back for the Catalan giants.
Cancelo, however, has struggled to settle with just eight Premier League starts due to Kyle Walker’s performances.
Manchester City are willing to let Cancelo go but only if they are able bring in other competition for the former Tottenham man.
Both players – like many of their Portuguese compatriots – are represented by Jorge Mendes, who will do everything he can to ensure the best deals for his clients.
Barcelona could offer Semedo to Manchester City in a straight swap for Joao Cancelo
Barcelona star Nelson Semedo has a kick around in his back garden on coronavirus lockdown
Source: Soccer - thesun.co.uk
