Barça keeps looking for ways to strengthen its attack, but it keeps finding more and more financial obstacles in the market. After ruling out the Nico Williams option due to his contract renewal, the Luis Díaz alternative has also fallen through. The club isn't willing to pay €80 million, nor to mortgage itself for a single name.
With Flick as the new coach, Deco and Laporta are exploring other less conventional avenues to complete the squad. The priority is to add experienced talent, but without unbalancing the accounts in the middle of a transition phase. That's where an option appeared that, for a moment, excited the offices at Camp Nou.
It's about a young footballer, with a Barça past, who has already shown his level in top leagues. He has goal-scoring ability, dribbling, vision, and can play in several positions across the attacking front. In addition, his camp has been pushing for weeks to facilitate his return to Barcelona.
A talent who had everything to succeed
The story isn't new: he was the great jewel of his generation and left La Masia at just 16 years old. He shared a locker room with Fermín, Casadó, and Balde, being the most high-profile and brilliant of them all. His departure caused discomfort, but many understood that he wasn't offered the space he deserved.
At the time, he asked for a clear roadmap, real opportunities, and a project where he could grow without obstacles. But he found a squad full of established names that closed off any possibility of moving up to the first team. Luis Enrique, Xavi Hernández, Andrés Iniesta, and company already dominated the locker room without question.
From the sporting management, they didn't offer him guarantees, and faced with that lack of trust, he decided to listen to external proposals. Several European clubs fought for him, and he ultimately chose to sign for a project that promised minutes and immediate prominence. The result was a premature departure that he deeply regrets today.
He wants to return…
Now, years later, he has shown everything he promised when he was a precocious prospect in Sant Joan Despí. He has shined in France, established himself in Germany, and is a full international with one of the best national teams in Europe. After a remarkable season, he has asked to leave his current club.
He doesn't want to stay in a squad that won't play European competition and believes his time has come. He has directly offered himself to Barça and has reiterated his desire to wear the Barça jersey again. The problem, as always, is the price: the club that owns him values him at €70 million.
At Camp Nou, they view his return favorably, but they're not willing to reach those figures. Laporta considers him a very interesting footballer, but not a priority compared to other more urgent needs. Deco values him, Flick approves… but the operation isn't viable.
For Barça, that's unaffordable. With the current financial problems and the tight salary cap, the club can't go after him. No matter how symbolic his return may be, they can't repeat past mistakes.
So, unless there's an unexpected turn, the reunion won't happen. He won't play at Camp Nou again, at least for now. Even though he dreams of returning home, Xavi Simons will have to wait, Laporta and Deco have already said "no".