Barcelona Transfer News Round-up: Arthur nearing Blaugrana exit in Pjanić swap, Lautaro criticism, and more
After a three-month absence, Barcelona returned to LaLiga Santander action on Saturday and marked their return spectacularly. The Blaugrana saw four different scorers from all thirds of the pitch find the back of the net. Arturo Vidal, Martin Braithwaite, Jordi Alba, and captain Lionel Messi scored as the Spanish champions resumed their efforts to keep hold of the LaLiga crown.
There has been immense transfer speculation over the last few months regarding the potential changes we could see at the Nou Camp come summer. Midfielders Ivan Rakitić and Arturo Vidal have been linked with moves away, while Barcelona have registered their interest in several other star players such as Miralem Pjanić and Kai Havertz.
Here, we take a look at a few of the recent Barcelona transfer updates ahead of the summer window.
Barcelona trying to ship Arthur to Juventus
There have been talks for a while now about the Catalans' interest in Juventus metronome Miralem Pjanić. The Bosnian was central to Juventus' midfield for a few years now and helped them ease the burden of parting with the legendary Andrea Pirlo. Pjanić represents an option that is believed to be much closer to the finished product than others and a player who could help Barcelona's present.
However, despite both clubs agreeing to negotiate, Barcelona's finances have been hit by the ongoing pandemic. Juventus are keen on acquiring 23-year-old Arthur Melo in an exchange deal should Barcelona not be willing to deal in cash. It has been reported that Arthur has rejected the offer and intends to stay at the Nou Camp.
Now, Spanish outlet Sport claim that Barcelona are pushing the Brazilian towards the exit door. They cite Vidal's starting berth over Arthur as the beginning of their attempts to make him accept the swap deal offer and leave to Juventus.
Lautaro Martínez criticised for Napoli performance amidst Barcelona links
Inter Milan forward Lautaro Martínez was criticised heavily for his performance against Napoli in the Coppa Italia semi-final on Saturday. The Argentine cut a very frustrated figure against Gennaro Gattuso's men as a 1-1 draw saw the Naples club go ahead on aggregate score.
Lautaro's lacklustre performance was got worse when he skied a glorious opportunity to give Inter an edge in the tie. Napoli's record-breaker Dries Mertens fired Napoli to the final and sent Inter crashing out.
Italian news outlet Gazzetta dello Sport suggested that his poor display is a result of his ongoing negotiations with Barcelona. The Catalans have long been linked with a move for El Toro as they view him as a long-term successor to the ageing Luis Suárez. Inter have made it clear that they expect any potential suitor to pay Lautaro's €111m release clause in full in the event of a transfer.
With the transfer window on the horizon, the 22-year-old could perhaps gain clarity on his future. As of right now, his future is very much up in the air, particularly given the ongoing Coronavirus crisis.
Barcelona confirm capture of 19-year-old Brazilian starlet
The Spanish champions have reportedly completed the signing of young Brazilian player Gustavo Maia. Sao Paulo's teenage sensation has heavily impressed in the youth teams for both club and country. Despite not having represented either of the teams professionally, the Catalans are convinced by their reports on him and have agreed to complete a deal for Maia.
In an interview with Diario Sport, Barcelona director Xavier Vilajoana commented on Maia;
"We will complete the agreement in place. He [Gustavo Maia] has a lot of skill and is an important signing for us."
Barcelona reportedly had a deposit of €1m registered to have the first option to purchase should Maia leave. They are now widely expected to pay the remaining €3.5m to complete the deal. Spanish outlet Marca claimed that the deposit was put in p done due to substantial interest from LaLiga rivals Atletico Madrid and English champions-in-waiting Liverpool.