BARCELONA are rumoured to be gearing up for a mass clear-out in a bid to sign Inter Milan frontman Lautaro Martinez.
Up to NINE players could be on the Nou Camp side’s ‘for sale’ list as they look to raise funds to get a deal for the Argentina hotshot over the line.
Nine players could be on their way out of Barcelona with the Nou Camp giants gearing up to sign Inter Milan’s Lautaro Martinez
And one player said to be among this number is left-back Junior Firpo with Inter keen on landing the 23-year-old, according to Mundo Deportivo.
Other stars who could be transferred to raise funds for a Martinez swoop include Arturo Vidal and Samuel Umiti who’s attracted interest from Arsenal and Manchester United.
Martinez, 22, who’s racked up 13 goals in 29 appearances across all competitions this term, could cost the club around £100million, according to reports.
Earlier this year Inter Milan’s sporting director confirmed the 22-year-old could join Barca this summer, but only if his release clause was met.
The LaLiga giants see Martinez, as the ideal replacement for the ageing Luis Suarez who suffered a knee injury in January that put him out of action for four months.
Reports in Spain claim a verbal agreement is already in place between Martinez and the club.
And the 22-year-old is believed to be keen on playing alongside his idol Lionel Messi.
On Sunday Barca president Josep Maria Bartomeu admitted on Spanish TV that he’d already been in talks with Inter about landing the Argentina international.
Arsenal and Man United target Samuel Umiti is rumoured to be among the stars who could be on Barcelona’s ‘for sale’ list
However the Nou Camp chief claims progress on pushing the deal through is currently on hold.
Bartomeu told TV3: “In the case of Lautaro the negotiation is stopped right now, we spoke with Inter a few weeks ago and now we are in a phase of analysis.”
With the Covid-19 pandemic putting the squeeze on Barcelona’s budget, reports claim the club will need to shift £181million (€200million) off its budget.
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Source: Soccer - thesun.co.uk
