Barcelona is pursuing an aggressive recruitment strategy and relies heavily on signing from the rest of Europe. The Catalan giants are known for producing top-notch youngsters in the past, having produced Andrés Iniesta, Xavi Hernández, Sergio Busquets, Cesc Fabregas, and Lionel Messi among others.
However, La Masia Academy’s golden era seems to be over considering little to no prospects make it to the first team, these days.
Contract Termination with Martin Braithwaite Confirmed
Barcelona officially confirms the termination of the contract with Martin Braithwaite. The Danish forward joined the club during the winter 2020 transfer window and was under contract until the end of the 2023-24 season.
However now, due to transfer rumors, Braithwaite is expected to move to Espanyol and sign a three-year deal.
Throughout his time at Barcelona, the 31-year-old scored 10 goals and provided 5 assists in 58 appearances for the club.
Chelsea & Barcelona Agreed Upon Aubameyang Transfer and Memphis Depay News
Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang has been allowed to travel to London after Chelsea and Barcelona reach an agreement for a deadline day transfer.
Not only that, but there’s word about Memphis Depay also trade swapping clubs after he reportedly asked to leave the Catalan giants on Wednesday night.
This was reported by various sources on Thursday, with The Athletic’s David Ornstein adding that Aubameyang had also agreed to personal terms with Chelsea.
The 33-year-old is said to complete a move to Stamford Bridge, while Chelsea full-back Marcos Alonso is expected to move in the opposite direction to Camp Nou.
The Athletic revealed early on Thursday that Chelsea had offered Alonso around €7.5m, but reports in Spain suggest the Blues will be sold for around €12m to €14m.
Aubameyang has reportedly signed a two-year contract with Chelsea with the option to extend for another year depending on his performance.
However, the former Arsenal captain may have to wait sometime before making his debut at the West London club after he reportedly broke his jaw during a violent house break-in in Barcelona on Sunday.
Meanwhile, Gerard Romero reports that Barcelona has also agreed to an ‘exit formula’ with Chelsea to sell Memphis Depay, while Fabrizio Romano says the two clubs are in the final stages of negotiations for the signing of the Dutch international team. However, he states he hasn’t reached that point yet.
