Barcelona outlines two priorities for the left next summer – positions seen as priorities
Barcelona went into last summer with the position of the left wing as one of their priorities, but failed to bring a winger and out, despite the target. Nico Williams. The latest from the Catalan giants is that he continues to be their main target for next summer.
While the idea of bringing a top forward to succeed Robert Lewandowski, that seems too difficult for the Blaugrana to do next summer. So the positions to aim for are the left side, and the two back positions. They feel that despite Raphinha's stunning performances this season, they need a specialist winger.
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As such, Williams remains the favorite for that spot, say Sport. The Basque winger has decided to stay in Bilbao this season, but Barcelona will return for him if he does not renew his contract with Athletic. His release clause is 65 million euros this season. Williams will earn €9-10 million per season.
Meanwhile the Naples wing Khvicha Kvaratskhelia he is currently in contract talks with his club, and is open to leaving the club next summer. He wants a deal worth 4-5 million euros per year, while Napoli's asking price is around 80 million euros. Rafael Leao has also been linked with the Blaugrana, but a move to Portugal is described as “unlikely”.
If Barcelona were to pay those prices, a five-year deal for Williams would cost them a total of €110-115 million over the course of the piece. On the other hand, Kvaratskhelia theoretically cost him €100-105m in the same period. Depending on the structure of the deal that Napoli would request, the upfront cost could also be a key factor, with Barcelona still over their current salary cap.
