Barcelona News Roundup: Barca to ramp up efforts to sign Premier League striker, Neymar set to extend Paris Saint-Germain stay amid Blaugrana links and more - 13 April 2021
Barcelona are looking to accelerate their efforts to sign their main striker target as more teams start to show interest.
Barcelona's plans to go top of the La Liga table were dented as they suffered a 2-1 defeat against Real Madrid in El Clasico this past weekend. The players will try to put it behind them as soon as they can in order to make one final push for the league title.
Without further ado, let's take a look at the top stories involving Barcelona from 13 April 2021.
Juventus interested in Ousmane Dembele
Ousmane Dembele is cruising through his best season yet at Barcelona and has scored 10 goals across all competitions so far this term. However, his current contract with the Catalans expires next year and the player recently confirmed that talks over a new deal haven't begun yet.
According to Mundo Deportivo, Juventus have registered an interest in the Frenchman and are monitoring his situation. They are prepared to make an offer for him when the summer transfer window opens.
If Barcelona cannot agree a new deal with Dembele, then this summer will be their best opportunity to cash in on him.
Neymar drops hints of PSG contract renewal
Amid reports suggesting that Neymar has put his contract extension discussions at Paris Saint-Germain on hold as he favours a move to Barcelona, Fabrizio Romano has revealed that the Brazilian is all set to sign an extension. He says that the information has been relayed to France Football by the player's entourage.
Neymar's entourage told France Football (via DailyStar):
"Neymar wants to stay at PSG. He sees that the club is in the process of growing. He likes the project. He posts less things on social media because he wants less controversy and attention on him.
"His main objective is to win the Champions League. He doesn't think about anything other than that. He wants to show that Paris is a great team."
Barcelona accelerate efforts to sign Sergio Aguero
Manchester City sent the rumour mill into overdrive by announcing that star striker Sergio Aguero will leave the club in the summer. According to Sport, Barcelona have now decided to ramp up their efforts to sign the Argentine striker on a free as competition for his signature intensifies.
Juventus are the latest entrants to Aguero's list of admirers. As per the report, the Bianconeri are willing to offer Aguero a two-year contract worth €10 million annually. However, Barcelona have no intention of matching those figures.
They are hoping that the allure of playing with Lionel Messi will be sufficient to force Aguero to take a wage cut and also not be too adamant about wanting to be guaranteed a starting spot. Simply put, Barcelona are not willing to break the bank to sign a 32-year-old striker.