Luis Enrique adds 2 Barcelona stars to 5-man transfer wish list at PSG: Reports
Paris Saint-Germain (PSG) have begun a new era under the stewardship of Luis Enrique, who has placed two Barcelona players on his transfer wishlist.
Amid the intense chase for their elusive Champions League trophy, the Parisian giants are placing their bets on Enrique, whose predecessors all tried and fell short. To achieve his goal, his blueprint already involves five fresh faces.
According to El Nacional, the first Barcelona player on the Spanish manager's wishlist is Jules Kounde. Enrique has enjoyed watching the 24-year-old defender play, and is hoping to leverage his dissatisfaction with Xavi Hernandez to make a move.
This is despite securing Milan Skriniar from Inter Milan as a replacement for Sergio Ramos, who has left on a free transfer.
Alongside Kounde, he's also keen to secure Ousmane Dembele's services. With contract renewal talks between Dembele and Barcelona in a deadlock, Enrique hopes to capitalize on the situation and lure him to Paris. The potential transfer deal is rumoured to be worth a cool €50 million.
However, Enrique's ambitions stretch further. PSG's new manager has urged President Nasser Al-Khelaifi to bring in three other stars, including Marco Asensio. Their shared history in the Spanish national team has reportedly fuelled Enrique's faith in Asensio's capabilities.
As for the final strokes on Enrique's wishlist, he has reportedly advocated for the acquisition of Lucas Hernandez from Bayern Munich for a purported fee of around €45 million. The Parisians are also looking to wrestle Manuel Ugarte away from Sporting Portugal to bolster their midfield.
Barcelona and PSG could agree on a Neymar deal for Brazilian's return to Camp Nou
Barca and Paris Saint-Germain appear to be inching towards an agreement that would usher Neymar back to his former stomping ground, according to beIN SPORTS.
The initial plan for the Blaugrana this summer involved orchestrating Lionel Messi's grand homecoming by flexing their 'economic levers'. Yet, with the revered club icon heading to Inter Miami, their sights have now turned to his former sidekick in Neymar.
As per Khaled Waleed of beIN SPORTS (via Football Transfers):
"Neymar will play in Barcelona if Paris pays the bulk of his salary."
Although agreement on other terms has been reached between the clubs, Neymar's substantial salary remains a primary hurdle:
"Everything is agreed upon between the two clubs, except for the salary, which remains the core point of contention."
Currently, Neymar pulls in a hefty €56.4 million a year, without tax deductions, at PSG, making him the second top earner at the club, surpassed only by Kylian Mbappe. Last season, despite undergoing ankle surgery in February, Neymar impressed with a tally of 13 goals and 11 assists in just 20 Ligue 1 matches for PSG.