Barcelona must pay €40 million to sign Senegalese transfer target amid interest from ‘top’ Premier League club: Reports
Barcelona have been informed that they must fork out a sum of €40 million to sign young Senegalese superstar Dion Lopy from Almeria, according to Mundo Deportivo.
Almeria signed Lopy from Ligue 1 club Stade de Reims for €6.5 million in August 2023. He has been a standout performer and one of the few positives for the club in their otherwise dismal season.
According to Mundo Deportivo, Almeria clarified that a fee in the range of €40 million is likely to be acceptable for Lopy's services during the upcoming transfer window. As Reims have a 20% sell-on clause, Almeria want to recoup a big fee for the Senegalese midfielder. They have, hence, set a high asking price for their prized possession.
Bundesliga clubs Freiburg and Eintracht Frankfurt also tabled bids worth nearly €15 million for Lopy in the January transfer window but were rejected. They are expected to be interested again in the summer. Almeria also confirmed that a 'top' Premier League club had also made an offer to sign the midfielder.
Barcelona have also considered signing Martin Zubimendi from Real Sociedad to fill that No. 6 role. However, Real Sociedad are unwilling to negotiate and any transfer would only be possible after the Spaniard's €60 million release clause is met. Barca's dire financial situation makes it nearly impossible for them to consider this signing.
It also seems improbable that Barcelona would engage in a bidding war with other top clubs Lopy, who is relatively unproven at the top level. The 22-year-old has made 23 appearances across competitions for the Spanish side this season.
However, Almeria currently sit bottom of La Liga and their relegation is likely imminent. They could be forced to decrease their asking price for their star man. This could prove beneficial for Barca as they look to bring in midfield reinforcements in the summer.
Manchester City midfielder Rodri claims 2009 Barcelona to be the best team he has ever seen
Manchester City's superstar Spanish midfielder Rodri has said that the 2009 Barcelona squad was the best that he had ever seen, as quoted by Mirror.
The 2008-09 season brought incredible success to Camp Nou. The Blaugrana won La Liga, Copa del Rey, and the UEFA Champions League to complete a historic treble under now City manager Pep Guardiola.
Rodri, who was part of the Atletico Madrid youth setup back then, admitted that he grew up watching and being inspired by that Barca team. He also admitted that former Barcelona captain Sergio Busquets and their rival Real Madrid's hero Xabi Alonso were his idols. He said:
“My generation was Barcelona 2009. I was very, very impressed with Busquets and Xabi Alonso. The greatest generation is in between. I was lucky to watch them and learn from them. When I was a child, I used to watch them and they were my references.”
Rodri has faced Barca six times with Atletico and Villarreal, drawing twice and losing four times.