Barcelona may enter into a swap agreement to sign a €45 million-rated center-back
A common strategy that Barcelona has used in the past is to look for players whose contracts are about to expire in the next few months or a year and then pounce on them.
This season, Barcelona has targeted two Chelsea defenders: Cezar Azpilicueta and Andreas Christensen. They also want to add Franck Kessie to the midfield and Robert Lewandowski to the attack.
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According to SPORT, Barcelona's opportunism has led them to Kalidou Koulibaly. The contract of the Senegalese international expires in the summer of 2023, and Napoli want to cash in on him before it expires.
To save money, as he is said to be worth €30 million.
Barça wants to include players in the transaction. SPORT did not reveal who is on the list of potential players involved in the swap.
Sergino Dest, on the other hand, can be assumed to be one of them, as he has already been mentioned in relation to Jules Kounde.
Koulibaly has no desire to extend his contract with the Italian giants and is looking for a change of scenery, with Barça appearing to be a possible destination.
Barcelona's defense is shaping up to be quite impressive next season. Gerard Pique is having one of the best individual seasons of his career, Azpilicueta and Koulibaly both have a wealth of experience.
Both potential signings are still in their prime years and could help Barcelona significantly the defensive force next season. The team will also have a young defensive core with Eric Garcia and Christensen returning next season, led by Ronald Araujo.
Indeed, manager Xavi Hernandez wants to bring in as many as seven players this summer, with two of them being centre-backs. One of the two center-backs has already been signed, with Andreas Christensen set to arrive from Chelsea on a free transfer.
However, the 42-year-old tactician is still looking to add another 'world-class' center-half to his squad before next season. Given the likely departures of Clement Lenglet, Samuel Umtiti, and Oscar Mingueza, it makes sense for Xavi to seek out another defender.
Furthermore, journalist Javi Miguel claims that Barcelona's manager is keen on signing one of Kalidou Koulibaly or Jules Kounde in the summer.
Koulibaly is a player who has previously been linked with Barça. This summer, the Napoli defender will enter the final year of his contract and would be available for a bargain in the market. He is a top-tier center-back with extensive experience who can contribute to the team.
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