Barcelona Transfer News Roundup: Catalans eyeing Sporting ace, Robert Lewandowski wants to stay, and more - November 20, 2024
Barcelona have enjoyed a steady rise under Hansi Flick this season. The German manager has taken them to the top of the LaLiga table after 13 games and will next face Celta Vigo in the league on Saturday, November 23.
Meanwhile, the Catalans have set their sights on a Sporting CP midfielder currently on loan at Las Palmas. Elsewhere, Robert Lewandowski has no plans to leave the LaLiga giants just yet.
On that note, let's look at the major Barcelona transfer stories from November 20, 2024.
Barcelona eyeing Dario Essugo
Barcelona remain interested in Dario Essugo, according to Mundo Deportivo. The Catalans have had their eyes on the Portuguese midfielder for a while, but a move has failed to materialize.
Essugo joined Las Palmas from Sporting on loan this summer and has caught the eye with his performances for the Spanish club. He has already appeared eight times across competitions and his efforts have further convinced Barcelona.
The Catalans wanted to sign the 19-year-old on a loan deal this summer, with an option to buy. However, it was turned down by Sporting, as the structure of the proposal didn't appeal to them.
The LaLiga giants, however, haven't given up on the player just yet. They are likely to continue monitoring him and a move cannot be ruled out in the future.
Robert Lewandowski wants to stay
Robert Lewandowski wants to stay at Camp Nou until 2027, according to Diario SPORT. The Polish striker has scored 19 goals from 17 games under Hansi Flick this season.
His contract with Barcelona expires at the end of this season, but it has an automatic renewal clause which will be triggered by a pre-set number of appearances. With the player a constant under Flick this season, it appears certain that he will be at Camp Nou for at least another season.
However, it now appears that the 36-year-old is planning a longer stay in Catalonia. He has already expressed a desire to stay with the LaLiga giants until he is 39. Should the Pole continue his superb form, the club would be more than willing to hold on to him for the next few seasons.
Gianluigi Buffon opens up on rejecting Catalans
Gianluigi Buffon has revealed that he was very close to joining Barcelona before he returned to Parma. The legendary Italian goalkeeper was looking for a new club in the summer of 2021 when the Catalans came calling.
Speaking to Corriere della Sera, Buffon insisted that fate pushed him towards a return to his former club instead of a move to Camp Nou.
“I had an offer from Barcelona to be second goalkeeper: I liked the idea of playing with Messi, after CR7. One day, however, I was driving and on the radio, they played a song by Jovanotti that I liked and that I hadn’t heard for ten years: ‘Bella’," said Buffon.
He continued:
"I looked up and saw the Parma sign on the motorway. It was a sign. And that’s how I ended my career, where it all began.”
Buffon rose through the ranks at Parma and ultimately ended his illustrious career at his boyhood club in 2023.