Barcelona agree €8 million deal to sign 20-year-old midfielder: Reports
Barcelona have reportedly reached an agreement to rope in Liverpool Montevideo midfielder Fabrizio Diaz for €8 million in the upcoming summer transfer window.
Diaz, 20, has established himself as one of the top prospects in Uruguay since his senior-team debut for Liverpool Montevideo in February 2020. He has helped them lift one trophy so far – the Supercopa Uruguaya trophy in 2020.
A right-footed technical operator blessed with passing and work rate, the Uruguay U20 captain shot to fame due to his fine performances at the South American U20 Championships earlier this year. He helped his national side finish second behind Brazil with five goals and two assists in eight tournament appearances.
According to Mundo Deportivo, Barcelona and Liverpool Montevideo have reached an agreement worth €8 million for Diaz's signature this summer. The Catalan outfit are keen to initially incorporate the Uruguayan into their 'B' team.
Diaz, who has a deal until May 2026 at the Estadio Belvedere, will be exempt from registration in the La Liga if he is added to Barcelona B's books. He could continue his stellar development with regular minutes in the third division.
Should Diaz secure a permanent move to Camp Nou this summer, he is expected to be viewed as a successor to Sergio Busquets. While he is adept at operating as a deep-lying playmaker, he could also step into a holding role.
Overall, Diaz has scored five goals and laid out seven assists in 116 appearances for Liverpool Montevideo.
Fabrizio Romano backs Barcelona to sell 22-year-old this summer
In his exclusive column for Caught Offside, transfer guru Fabrizio Romano backed Barcelona to offload out-of-favor right-back Sergino Dest ahead of the upcoming 2023-24 campaign. He wrote:
"For Sergino Dest, they will look for new solution, I don't see him staying but we will see in the summer. The market for Barcelona depends on Financial Fair Play; for example I said three weeks ago, that they met with the agent of Jeremie Frimpong but now the priorities are different, the right-back is something that will be decided later on."
Dest, 22, joined AC Milan on a season-long loan deal last summer after struggling to settle in at Camp Nou for the past two campaigns. He has started just four of his 14 appearances for the Serie A giants so far this season.
Since joining the Blaugrana from Ajax for an initial fee of €21 million in 2020, Dest has lifted a Copa del Rey trophy. He has registered three goals and four assists in 72 games across all competitions for Xavi Hernandez's side.