Barcelona Transfer News Roundup: Blaugrana edging closer to Wolverhampton Wanderers midfielder; club receive setback in pursuit of Bayern Munich striker, and more - 16 May 2022
Barcelona played out a goalless draw against Getafe at the Coliseum Alfonso Perez in La Liga on Sunday. The result confirmed a second-place finish for Xavi's team.
Meanwhile, the Blaugrana are edging closer to a Wolverhampton Wanderers midfielder. Elsewhere, the La Liga giants have received a blow in their pursuit of a Bayern Munich striker.
Full Time #GetafeBarça https://t.co/YnPY0i5Yji
On that note, here's a look at the key Barcelona transfer stories as on 16 May 2022:
Barcelona edging closer to Ruben Neves move
Barcelona are drawing closer to securing the services of Ruben Neves, according to The Hard Tackle via SPORT. The Portuguese midfielder has been one of the stars of the show at Wolverhampton Wanderers. However, Neves is likely to leave the Midlands club at the end of the season.
The Blaugrana are leading the race for the 25-year-old, who they view as Sergio Busquet's eventual replacement. Xavi wants to revamp his midfield this summerm and the Portuguese has emerged as an option. The La Liga giants' strong relationship with super agent Jorge Mendes, who represents the player, could work in their favour in the race for Neves.
Mendes is likely to help secure a cut-price deal for the Portuguese. Wolves could also be interested in a player-plus cash move involving Nico Gonzalez. Manchester United are also interested in Neves, though.
Blaugrana receive setback in Robert Lewandowski pursuit
Barcelona have received a setback in their pursuit of Robert Lewandowski. The Polish striker wants to leave Bayern Munich this summer, and the Blaugrana are eager to take him to the Camp Nou.
#FCBayernBayern’s Kahn on Lewandowski: “It's not something that causes us a headache. We made an offer to his agent. He rejected this offer”, he told @br24sport via @iMiaSanMia. 🔴 #FCBayern
“The fact is: Lewa has a contract and he will fulfill it. Stop, basta!”, Kahn added.
However, speaking recently, Bayern chairman Olivier Kahn confirmed that the Bavarians have no intention of letting Lewandowski leave at the end of the season.
"We know this alarmism from the past. It’s not something that causes us a headache. We made an offer to his agent. He rejected this offer. That’s his right. The fact is: He has a contract and he will fulfil it. We are very clear and consistent about that. That’s the way things are here at Bayern. There is no player above the club," said Kahn.
Oliver Kahn on Lewandowski: "We know this alarmism from the past. It's not something that causes us a headache. We made an offer to his agent. He rejected this offer. That's his right. The fact is: He has a contract and he will fulfill it. Basta!" [@BR24sport]
❗ Oliver Kahn on Lewandowski: "We know this alarmism from the past. It's not something that causes us a headache. We made an offer to his agent. He rejected this offer. That's his right. The fact is: He has a contract and he will fulfill it. Basta!" [@BR24sport] https://t.co/XL4plvG5k1
Lewandowski has been a colossal performer since arriving at Bayern on a free transfer from Borussia Dortmund in the summer of 2014. He has bagged 344 goals across competitions, winning eight consecutive Bundesliga titles, three German Cups and the UEFA Champions League.
Xavi set to begin preparations for summer
Xavi has revealed that he will begin preparations for the summer this week. The Spaniard has overseen a superb turnaround in the club's fortunes since taking charge at the end of last year.
Speaking after the draw against Getafe, Xavi gave his verdict on the current season.
"We always want to win, but the draw was virtually good enough. We met a minimum demand at Barcelona, which is to play in the Supercopa de Espana. Now we can look at what we've done since taking over the team. We've made a big comeback," said Xavi.
He continued:
"I dreamed of winning a trophy, but we didn't manage that. We're second, and we haven't been able to compete with Real Madrid. We didn't compete in the Copa del Rey either, or the Supercopa de Espana. Now it's about working on next season... although we also want to show we can beat Villarreal."
Xavi hinted that he has already chalked out targets for the summer, saying:
"This week we'll do some planning. I'm clear on what we need to compete: the board knows it, Mateu (Alemany) and Jordi (Cruyff) know it... we'll prioritise. Next year we need to compete for titles. We'll discuss all the names."