Barcelona make decision regarding on-loan star's future at the club - Reports
Barcelona have reportedly decided that 22-year-old right-back Julian Araujo will spend pre-season with the first team. The youngster joined the club in January 2023 and moved to Las Palmas on loan last summer.
According to Mundo Deportivo, new coach Hansi Flick and sporting director Deco have decided that Julian Araujo will stay at the club this summer. The full-back will train with the team during pre-season to compete for a first-team spot.
The Mexican right-back was unable to play for the first six months at Barcelona despite joining in January 2023, as his transfer was not authorized by FIFA. The player needs to be re-signed this summer before he can compete for a first team spot.
Araujo could be a valuable backup option for Jules Kounde or Joao Cancelo in the right-back position, if Flick includes him in his plans. The youngster scored two goals in 28 appearances for Las Palmas in the 2023-24 season.
The aforementioned report also mentioned that Hansi Flick and Deco recently met at the Barca office to set goals for the upcoming summer transfer window. The manager will take important decisions about the future of multiple players who were away on loan, including Eric Garcia, Ansu Fati, Alex Valle, Pablo Torre, Clement Lenglet, and Sergino Dest.
Barcelona could include Ansu Fati in a swap deal with Bayer Leverkusen - Reports
According to SPORT journalist David Bernabeu, Barcelona and Bayer Leverkusen are reportedly considering a swap deal involving Spanish forward Ansu Fati and Dutch youngster Jeremie Frimpong this summer.
As per Bernabeu, Leverkusen reportedly offered Barca around €10-15m for either a loan or purchase deal for Ansu Fati. They are now also considering a swap deal, given the Catalan club's interest in Frimpong.
However, Fati is reportedly not willing to leave the Blaugrana, as he wants to be a part of the pre-season with Hansi Flick to prove himself as a valuable asset to the club.
The Spaniard spent the 2023-24 season on loan at Brighton and Hove Albion, but did not meet expectations in England. In 27 appearances for the Seagulls, Fati scored four goals and provided one assist.
Apart from Bayer Leverkusen, other clubs, including Sevilla, are also interested in a loan deal for Ansu Fati. However, Barcelona are reportedly not keen on loaning him to Sevilla as the La Liga club is only willing to cover 30% of his wages.
The club will reportedly prefer a swap deal with Leverkusen due to their interest in Frimpong or to permanently sell the player this summer.