Bayern Munich beat Real Madrid and RB Leipzig in race to sign top talent from Barcelona: Reports
According to Sky Sports reporter Florian Plettenberg, Bayern Munich have won the race to sign Barcelona youngster Adam Aznou.
Aznou is a 16-year-old left-back with Moroccan roots. The player is also eligible to become a Spain international. He played for the Barcelona youth team last season and is also capable of playing as a left-sided centre-back. Aznou is considered an elite talent and has attracted interest from multiple big clubs.
This includes the likes of RB Leipzig and European champions Real Madrid. However, it seems as if Bayern Munich have won the race for the player. Aznou is understood to have been in Munich since Wednesday and is close to finalizing a deal with the German club.
Bayern will only have to negotiate the final details of their permanent deal with the La Liga club. While the player is by no means expected to create an immediate impact, he could be a big signing for the future.
Barcelona continue making summer signings despite financial trouble
Barcelona have moved smartly in the current transfer window despite their obvious financial issues. Even Bayern Munich manager Julian Nagelsmann expressed surprise over the Spanish club’s financial dealings. The manager claimed that it was "crazy" that the Spanish giants had signed so many players despite their financial issues.
He said (via The Daily Star):
"They bought a lot of players. I don't know how. It's the only club in the world that doesn't have money but can buy any player. It's crazy to me. They're finding solutions. I don't know how, but yes, they have a better squad than last season."
While Barcelona do have issues, they have made multiple important signings this summer. This includes the free transfers of Franck Kessie and Andreas Christensen and the signings of Raphinha and Robert Lewandowski. All of the above players can be expected to slot into Xavi’s starting lineup.
The Spanish club are reportedly putting pressure on Manchester United target Frenkie de Jong to leave as they need to free up wages. Barca owe around €17 million in wages to De Jong, which is understood to be a big reason why the player has been unwilling to move.
Joan Laporta has been able to consistently improve the team since he was made the club president. While the Blaugrana do have financial problems that may take years to recover from, they have proved perfectly capable of still improving their team.