There are only a few weeks left till the end of this season, but FC Barcelona are already making their plans for the upcoming summer transfer window when they would want to reinforce their team ahead of the upcoming season.
In this regard, Deco would lead the Catalan club’s moves, but other individuals also remain important, especially the club president, Joan Laporta.
It is because of this influence that the Blaugranes are once again being linked with one of the most exciting wingers in Europe, i.e., Rafael Leao, whom Barcelona had already tried to sign last year but were unable to complete this operation because of the dearth of time.
According to SPORT, Leao is still a player who resonates with Laporta, as the president still believes that the Portuguese forward could have more regularity and continuity at the Catalan club.
In fact, some voices from inside the club also claim that the Portuguese forward is even ahead of the Athletic Club winger Nico Williams, as a target to reinforce Hansi Flick’s attack for the next season.
Last season, Leao had 15 goals and 14 assists to his name, while this season, he has accumulated 11 goals and provided 12 assists, with four games still remaining, not taking into consideration the FIFA Club World Cup.
Thus, his addition would certainly strengthen Barcelona, and the player himself is also keen to don the Blaugrana jersey. In fact, Jorge Mendes has been offering him to the Catalans for quite some time now, even though he is not directly his agent, but still has a significant influence over the player.
However, the main hurdle in such an operation is that Raphinha is having a stellar season playing in the position in which Rafael Leao performs the best. Furthermore, his contract with AC Milan goes till 2028, and his market valuation of €75 million means Barcelona will have to shell out a significant amount of money to get him.
