Man City desperate for Barcelona youngster, summer transfer on the radar

Barcelona’s exit from the UEFA Champions League group stages has meant a loss of over €20 million for the club, along with sponsor bonuses. With the Catalans already in financial disarray, these additional losses will hurt them further.

What the situation also does is that the Blaugrana will have to offload some of their top players over the next couple of transfer windows to generate funds in order to be able to reinvest it into the areas of the squad that need strengthening.

Several players are already being touted for an exit, while at the same time, there are a few stars who are considered ‘untouchable’, with one of them being midfield prodigy Nico Gonzalez.

The 19-year-old made his first-team breakthrough this season and has quickly gone about becoming a regular in the side, be it under Ronald Koeman or Xavi Hernandez. While he is widely regarded as the heir to Sergio Busquets, the Galician midfielder has also excelled playing as an interior midfielder this season.

And, it seems like Nico’s performances have earned him a huge admirer in the form of Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola. El Nacional reports that the reigning champions of England are desperate to sign him in the summer, with the manager pushing for his transfer.

Guardiola, as per the report, is believed to be ready to make the most of Barca’s difficult financial situation and make an irresistible offer for the 19-year-old, which would force the Catalans to consider his departure, even though they see him as a core member of the team for the future.

Nico signed a new contract with Barcelona earlier this year, extending his stay at Camp Nou until the summer of 2024. It also included a massive release clause worth €500 million, although the report indicates that a starting price of €80 million could coax the Blaugrana into considering a sale in the summer.