When Joan Laporta won the Barcelona presidency, a huge wave of optimism washed over the Catalan media. There was talk of the club somehow having a big transfer summer, with huge names such as Erling Haaland and Neymar repeatedly dragged into the picture.
Perhaps partly down to the collapse of the European Super league, and that bringing a greater focus on Barcelona’s difficult financial situation, things have very much changed.
Now there’s daily talk of a ‘low cost’ window, which would see Ronald Koeman, or whoever is tasked with replacing the Dutchman, have his cut cloth according to economic realities.
Free signings would be the order of the day, and Mundo Deportivo bring another into the reckoning on Thursday. They report Barcelona are ‘working’ on signing Adrián Bernabé from Manchester City.
His contract ends in the summer, and he’d be returning to the Catalan club as a free agent. Despite his current club working to develop his attributes at left-back, Barcelona see the 19-year-old as a left sided midfielder.
Their idea would be to sign him and keep him within the Barca squad for next season, although a loan move isn’t ruled out.
