Barcelona forward set to complete loan move to Italian side – report

With the transfer window set to slam shut in a few hours, there could be a flurry of activity at Barcelona, mostly with regards to exit. And one player who is on the verge of leaving the Catalan giants in the coming hours is striker Rey Manaj.

According to SPORT, Manaj is on his way to Italy, with a move to Spezia now poised to be completed imminently. The 25-year-old will be leaving on a loan deal with an option to make the switch permanent next year.

Manaj signed for Barcelona in January last year from Spanish lower division outfit Albacete. The Albanian forward spent the last eighteen months playing for the Catalans’ B team, racking up 31 appearances in which he scored 16 goals and set up two more.

While Manaj regularly featured for Barca’s senior team in the pre-season this summer and impressed as well, he does not feature in the plans of manager Ronald Koeman. He was an unused substitute in each of the Catalans’ first three La Liga games of the 2021/22 season.

The Dutch manager, instead, wants to bring in a different striker on the deadline day, with the likes of Mario Mandzukic, Edinson Cavani being offered to the club.

As for Manaj, the 25-year-old is set to return to Italy, where he has previously spent time with the likes of Inter Milan, Cremonese, Pescara, among others. The centre-forward will sign for Serie A outfit Spezia on a temporary basis, with the club retaining the option of making the transfer permanent.

The report claims that Barcelona will receive a sum of €500,000 as a loan fee from the Ligurian club, with the transfer fee for a permanent switch set at €4million. So, as things stand, Manaj, a 24-time capped Albanian international, is all set to depart Camp Nou without making a competitive debut for the Blaugrana.