Barcelona set to close third departure of the summer

Barcelona could possibly announce the exit of one of their fringe players in Rey Manaj today. The former Albacete frontman has fallen out of favour in Catalunya and could soon seal his departure away from the club.

This would be the third sale of the summer for Barcelona following that of Philippe Coutinho and Ferran Jutgla.

According to a report from Mundo Deportivo, Manaj was in England yesterday to visit the training facility at Watford, with Vicarage Road likely to be his new destination for the season ahead.

The report suggests Barcelona and Watford are currently locked in negotiations over Manaj’s potential move to the Championship.

Manaj is coming on the back of a loan spell at Spezia this past season. He notably scored five goals in Serie A during the 2021/22 campaign, but the Italian outfit were not able to match his option to buy clause worth €2.7 million.

But as we embark on a new season, there is a possibility the striker will join Watford on a season-long loan deal until 2023 when his contract with Barcelona comes to an end. The player will, therefore, be available on a free transfer by the time his loan contract comes to an end.

It will give Watford the freedom to assess the striker’s performance and make a decision on whether to retain him for the 2023/24 campaign.

However, the Hornets have no intention to offer a transfer fee to Barcelona for the loan of Manaj this summer. Barça, instead, are likely to negotiate a percentage of the player’s sell-on fee, although the Catalans may press for a loan fee as well.

Barcelona had paid €2 million to secure the services of Manaj in early 2020. The Blaugrana were able to recoup around €300k through his loan at Spezia last season, and the club will be keen on squeezing the remainder of the fee by shipping him out to Watford this summer.