The ongoing negotiations that Barça are pursuing for La Liga players
The FC Barcelona president, Josep Maria Bartomeu, admitted that the club was working on completing "a couple of signings" from La Liga clubs earlier on Sunday.
We look over the main candidates and the current situation of the negotiations in each case. Two of the reinforcements for the Barça of 2016/17 could well come from the following list:
DENIS SUAREZ: His case is the most clear, as his return to Barcelona will be confirmed from July 1. Robert Fernandez agreed a four-year deal with the player, with an option for a further year, and a release clause of 50 million euros. The Catalan club will pay Villarreal 3.5 million euros for the Galician attacking midfielder.
JOAO CANCELO: Barcelona believe that he would be an excellent addition to their defence and have been looking to bring the player to Camp Nou for a while. He would cost around 20 million euros. However negotiations have slowed, partly because Barça had been waiting for the official confirmation of Dani Alves' departure, and also because PSG have now joined the chase for the Portuguese right-back.
MAURICIO LEMOS: The Las Palmas central defender is one of the candidates to strengthen the heart of the Barcelona defence. His club are playing hardball however, and are refusing to consider any offer under the buy-out clause of 30 million euros in the Uruguayan's contract. Barça have offered eight million euros, plus four million in add-ons. It also appears that Real Madrid have interfered in the negotiations, whether through a genuine interest in the player, or to increase the price of a possible transfer.
KEVIN GAMEIRO: Though the French striker would love to wear the Barça shirt, the club have found two main stumbling blocks to the deal. Firstly, the release clause of 40 million euros in the player's contract, as Sevilla have pointed to this whenever Barcelona personnel have made contact. Secondly, the new manager of the Andalusian club, Jorge Sampaoli, considers Gameiro to be a crucial part of his new project. Particularly in the event that Gregorz Krychowiak leaves the side. Therefore Robert Fernandez and his assistants will have to work very hard to pull off this signing.
NOLITO: He is the alternative to reinforce the Barcelona attack and cover the backs of the 'MSN' of Messi-Suarez-Neymar. However it seems that Pep Guardiola and Manchester City have moved ahead in the race and that the Celta forward, a priority for Luis Enrique, will end up plying his trade in the Premier League.
