Barcelona ‘negotiating’ with Liverpool to sign second ‘surprise’ star as Slot ‘asks’ for ‘replacement’
Barcelona are reportedly in ‘negotiations’ to sign two Liverpool stars ahead of the summer transfer window and Arne Slot has ‘asked’ for one ‘replacement’.
The Reds are enjoying a remarkable season as they are contending for three trophies with the Premier League, Champions League and Carabao Cup on the agenda.
Despite this, there could be a huge overhaul at Liverpool in the summer with three of their key stars among the 20 leading players who could become a free agent in the summer.
Mohamed Salah, Trent Alexander-Arnold and Virgil van Dijk are in the final months of their contract and are attracting interest from sides in Europe.
It has also been suggested that they could make changes to their attack this summer with head coach Slot ‘frustrated’ with Luis Diaz.
A report in Spain claims Diaz is ‘not the only’ Liverpool star being looked at by Barcelona, who are ‘negotiating another surprise signing’ with their ‘sights set’ on Van Dijk.
The report explains:
‘While Deco is working on the signing of Luis Diaz, the monitoring of Van Dijk confirms that Barcelona are still looking for top-level reinforcements for next summer. The priority remains to reinforce the attack and defence, but the club knows that its room for manoeuvre is limited.
‘If Liverpool fail to renew Van Dijk’s contract in the coming months, Barça will be ready to enter the bidding, although it will be a very complicated operation.
‘Everything will depend on the departures and whether the player is willing to make a financial effort to wear the Barça shirt.
‘For the moment, the board remains vigilant, knowing that in the transfer market opportunities can arise at any time.’
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Another report in Spain claims Slot has identified AC Milan and Portugal winger Rafael Leao as an ‘ideal replacement’ for Diaz.
The 25-year-old has been consistently linked with Premier League clubs in recent years and has ten goal involvements in 23 Serie A appearances this season.
‘Despite Deco’s interest, the player’s high cost represents a difficult obstacle to overcome. The Portuguese renewed his contract with Milan until 2028 and has a release clause of 175 million euros (£145m), although his market value is around 90 million (£74m), a figure that Barça will find difficult to assume without significant sales.
‘With Liverpool in the running and in a better financial position, Barcelona’s chances of signing Leao are drastically reduced. The Blaugrana’s priority remains to strengthen their attack, but they will have to explore other, more accessible alternatives on the market.
‘Everything points to Rafael Leao being closer to the Premier League than the Camp Nou, leaving Barça without one of their most desired attacking options for next season.’
