Barcelona dealt blow as transfer target decides to join Cristiano Ronaldo at Al-Nassr: Reports
Barcelona transfer target Marcelo Brozovic has agreed personal terms with Cristiano Ronaldo's Al-Nassr (via Fabrizio Romano). The Croat is set to undergo medical on Friday, June 30, and the move is expected to be completed soon.
Brozovic will pen a deal until 2026 and is set to receive a total salary of €100 million. Inter Milan, Brozovic's current club, will receive €23 million as a transfer fee.
Barcelona are looking to reinforce their midfield after Sergio Busquets' departure. After securing Ilkay Gundogan's signature as a free agent, the Blaugrana turned their attention towards Brozovic.
However, Brozovic will join Cristiano Ronaldo at Al-Nassr. The Knights of Najd are making moves in the market as Hakim Ziyech is set to join the Riyadh-based club as well.
Brozovic joined Inter in 2016 and has so far made 330 appearances for the club, scoring 31 goals and providing 43 assists across competitions. Inter are set to turn their attention toward 23-year-old Sassuolo midfielder Davide Frattesi to replace Brozovic.
Barcelona new man Ilkay Gundogan compared former Manchester City teammate to Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi
Ilkay Gundogan has joined Barcelona as a free agent. The former Manchester City star recently compared Erling Haaland to two of the greatest players of the modern era, Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi.
After signing from Borussia Dortmund in the summer of last year, Haaland scored 52 goals across competitions in his first season at the Manchester club. Speaking about the Norwegian's drive, Gundogan said (via Hindustan Times):
"Honestly, I didn’t know what to expect when he came here. You see the goals and all the attention that he was getting at Dortmund, and you wonder if he’s going to fit with the group."
The German added:
"But when I got to know him, I was so surprised how someone could be that talented and still have the will to be even better every single day. He’s never satisfied. I feel like there are no limits for him. Messi and Ronaldo are the only comparison for the level he could reach."
Haaland, along with Kylian Mbappe, is touted to carry Ronaldo and Messi's baton in European football. With Ronaldo at Al-Nassr and Messi set to join Inter Miami, it's time for the duo of Haaland and Mbappe to set the stage on fire.