BARCELONA may be in a spot of financial bother during the coronavirus pandemic but that hasn’t stopped them being linked with a mega transfer splurge.
Reports in Spain highlight several big name players interesting the LaLiga leaders, from Neymar and N’Golo Kante to Lautaro Martinez and Aymeric Laporte.
Blaugrana boss Quique Setien is set to allow a number of first-teamers to depart to make way for a squad overhaul.
First for the axe is Philippe Coutinho, the £142million midfielder rumoured to be heading back to the Premier League after a middling spell on loan at Bayern Munich.
According to Mundo Deportivo, the Brazilian will be offered to Chelsea as part of a stunning swap deal for N’Golo Kante.
Whether the Blues are ready to move on from the workhorse anchor man may feel unlikely but speculation is growing that life after Kante is being considered at Stamford Bridge.
Back in Catalonia, space is to be cleared for a new arrival with Sevilla-bound Ivan Rakitic and Arturo Vidal both tipped to leave.
Vidal might be used as a makeweight for Inter Milan forward Lautaro Martinez to complete his much-anticipated move to the Camp Nou – but so could Antoine Griezmann.
The former Atletico Madrid ace is not quite filling the Luis Suarez shaped hole the way the club hoped when signing him last summer and certain reports link him with a swift exit.
That may become even more likely if Neymar can be landed from Paris Saint-Germain.
Antoine Griezmann could be the shock name heading out of Barcelona once the season endsCredit: AFP or licensors
Les Parisiens may try and use Barcelona’s interest in the star winger to lure Griezmann over for themselves, should the saga ramp up again this summer after Neymar asked to leave in 2019.
Elsewhere, the Spanish giants are touted to look to Manchester City for a pair of signings.
The theme of player swaps continues with Nelson Semedo available to Pep Guardiola if he allows Joao Cancelo to move to Barcelona, according to Telegraph.
But the City boss will need some convincing to allow Aymeric Laporte to leave, the centre-back named by some Spanish press as a key target alongside RB Leipzig youngster Dayot Upamecano.
Rio Ferdinand claims he came close to Barcelona transfer after talks with Rijkaard in tunnel after Man Utd draw in 2008
Source: Soccer - thesun.co.uk
