Barcelona could not sign Real Madrid star due to a special clause in his contract: Reports

Barcelona missed out on the possible signing of departing Real Madrid winger Marco Asensio as he had an 'anti-Barca clause' in his contract.

Los Blancos are known to protect their players from being snapped up by rivals and Dani Ceballos is another player with a similar clause.

🚨 Marco Asensio had an anti-Barça clause inserted into his contract by Real Madrid. That's why the Spaniard quickly fell from the list of possible transfer targets. This clause also applies to Ceballos. @ffpolo, @ferranmartin 🇪🇸 https://t.co/FgMbLtxh9B

This is as per journalists Fernando Polo and Ferran Martin, who have covered Marco Asensio's departure from Real Madrid extensively. Their reports add that Barcelona were keen on bringing the Spaniard to the Camp Nou, as a free transfer would have suited their current financial situation.

Despite having signed Raphinha just last summer, manager Xavi Hernandez is keen to strengthen the squad in every possible area. With the Brazilian's departure still a possibility, signing a winger was high on the priority list. Ansu Fati has also failed to live up to expectations and has struggled with injuries, while Ferran Torres has struggled with consistency.

However, signing Asensio from Real Madrid seemed far-fetched once Polo's report came out and the player has since joined Paris Saint-Germain.

It will be interesting to see who Barcelona can target to bolster their squad ahead of the new season.

Real Madrid and Barcelona on Forbes' 'Top 5 Clubs' list

Real Madrid and Barcelona have been two of the most successful football clubs in world football for the last 15 years or so. Together, they have won eight Champions League titles during this period of domination.

Remarkably, the two Spanish juggernauts also had 26 of the 30 Ballon d'Or nominees between 2009-17 play for them at the time.

Speaking of Ballon d'Or monopolies; Spain (Real Madrid and Barcelona, really) had 26 of the 30 nominations between 2009 and 2017. https://t.co/S7XgiCoLRC

Forbes recently released a list of the most valuable football clubs in the world and it is no surprise to see these two in the top five. Los Blancos take the top spot with a net worth of $6.07 billion, while Barca sit in third place, being valued at $5.51 billion.

The world's most valuable soccer clubs, per @Forbes:

1. Real Madrid: $6.07 billion
2. Manchester United: $6 billion
3. Barcelona: $5.51 billion
4. Liverpool: $5.29 billion
5. Manchester City: $4.99 billion

And there are 7 MLS clubs in the top 30 — representing 23% of the list. https://t.co/QtcV6havhi

While their stranglehold over the Champions League has relatively loosened over the last few years, both Barca and Real have young squads that are yet to hit their prime.

Both clubs have recruited highly talented young players with high ceilings who could represent their clubs for the better part of the next decade.