"Barcelona, Real Madrid will spend little," says agent amidst astonishing transfer revelation
Barcelona and Real Madrid are never far away from the transfer headlines. Over the years, most of the biggest footballers in the world have graced the Spanish giants and have contributed to the La Liga's growth globally.
Real Madrid's Galacticos project saw them secure the likes of Luis Figo, Zinedine Zidane, David Beckham, Michael Owen and Cristiano Ronaldo amongst others.
Similarly, Barcelona snapped up Ronaldinho, Luis Suarez, Antoine Griezmann and Neymar over the years to compete with their arch-rivals.
However, Real Madrid and Barcelona have been tipped to spend judiciously in the upcoming transfer window by respected football agent Manuel Garcia Quilon.
The Spaniard, who represents Lucas Hernandez, Rafa Benitez and several other high-profile clients, also shed light on Real Madrid and Barcelona's transfer plans.
Manuel Garcia claimed that he does not believe Barcelona will make a big-money offer for Inter Milan striker Lautaro Martinez.
Real Madrid and Barcelona's transfer plans on hold
The Argentine has been tipped to make a move to Barcelona this summer as a replacement for Luis Suarez, but Garcia insists that it is unlikely to be the case due to the COVID-19 crisis.
"I find it hard to believe that FC Barcelona invests in Lautaro Martinez. I think Barcelona and Real Madrid are going to spend little."
"The market will drop 50% in transactions. There will be assignments. There will be about six major operations."
When quizzed about Real Madrid target Kylian Mbappe, Garcia claimed that the Frenchman could be sold by Paris-Saint Germain if he does not extend his contract at the club. Mbappe has long been linked with a move to Real Madrid, and Zinedine Zidane is a huge fan of his compatriot.
While it looks unlikely that Real Madrid will make a move for Mbappe, Garcia said that PSG could reluctantly part ways with their star man.
"If Kylian Mbappe he does not want to continue, PSG can sell him. Negotiations of two of my players were half-way complete, but they have been stopped for now."
The coronavirus pandemic and the resulting recession has taken its toll on football, due to which teams are expected to spend cautiously this summer.
Barcelona and Real Madrid are arguably two of the biggest clubs in world football and have signed world-class players in abundance over the years. However, the two clubs could have been tipped to have quiet transfer windows due to the current situation.
La Liga is scheduled to resume next week, and all eyes will be on Real Madrid and Barcelona, as they look to pip on another for the title.
Despite winning El Clasico, Real Madrid were beaten by Real Betis in the following weekend, and the result handed Barcelona the initiative in the title race.
Barcelona are currently two points clear of Real Madrid in the La Liga summit and are aiming to win their third league title in succession. With games coming thick and fast, the business end of the season could spring its fair share of surprises as the two sides look to battle it out for the title.