Barcelona keen on €50m Fulham player – Deal could be helped by player exchanges

Barcelona are keen on Fulham star Joao Palhinha and could make a potential €50m deal happen by including players in the operation.

That’s according to Sport, who say Palhinha has emerged as a potential option for the Catalans as they look to replace Sergio Busquets.

Signing that player is a priority for the club’s management, with the club focusing all of their financial efforts on doing so.

Finding the right player is difficult though as the top-level options are considered impossible in a financial sense, so sports director Deco has been ‘working intensively’ for the last few days to find alternative solutions.

He’s picked out two names, Fulham’s Palhinha and Benfica’s Florentino Luis, who have ‘shown a great level’ this season and could fit into what Barcelona want to do moving forwards.

Deco is ‘convinced’ about both players and their specific qualities fitting into the team, although neither would be easy to sign this summer. He is, however, convinced that they would ‘want to come’ to the club.

Barcelona have already scouted both and Palhinha was even in the club’s ideas last summer before they focused on other players and Fulham signed him in a €20m deal from Sporting Club de Portugal.

He’s been a key player for Marco Silva’s side since his arrival and Fulham will be reluctant to sell, having already ruled out letting him join anyone else in England.

He is valued at €35m but Sport say Fulham would want a figure closer to €50m. They would, however, be ‘willing to talk’ about exchanges so there are margins for negotiations to happen.

What players they could take aren’t mentioned but with Barcelona determined to get rid of a list of players, Fulham could have their pick if the Catalans do push to get Palhinha their summer.