Barcelona and Chelsea are both keen on Portuguese starlet Cardoso Varela, though the prospect of him joining Hansi Flick’s side depends on what will happen to Manchester United loanee Marcus Rashford, as per a report.
Barcelona made the signing of a new left winger a priority in the summer. They subsequently held talks for both Nico Williams and Luis Diaz after making the pair their two top targets.
Barca thought they were close to signing Williams but he ended up rejecting the transfer amid concerns the club would not be able to register him with LaLiga in time. The Spain star ended speculation about a move to Catalonia by penning a massive new 10-year contract with Athletic Club.
After missing out on Diaz to Bayern Munich, Barca were forced to pivot towards Rashford, who had been told to find a new club by Man Utd boss Ruben Amorim.
Rashford joined Barca on an initial loan deal that includes an option for the club to buy worth €30million (£26m).
Supporters of both Barca and United were unsure how the move would go given Rashford’s recent struggles in England.
But the forward has left fans surprised by making a big impact in Spain, having registered three goals and five assists during his first 10 outings under Flick.
According to Mundo Deportivo, Barca sporting director Deco is planning another signing on the left flank to future-proof the position.
Portuguese ‘gem’ Varela, who plays for Dinamo Zagreb and his country’s U17s side, has emerged as Deco’s primary target.
Barca are ‘closely monitoring’ Varela’s development as he is ‘highly regarded’ by Deco and the recruitment team.
The teenager and his agent, Andy Bara, ‘recently met with Deco in Croatia’ to discuss a future move to LaLiga.
Bara represents Barca playmaker Dani Olmo and ‘maintains a strong relationship with Deco’, which could aid future transfer discussions.
The Blaugrana see Varela as a star of the future and want to get the jump on other European giants by signing him before he becomes too valuable.
Chelsea are also ‘keeping a close eye’ on Varela and ‘could compete with Barca for his signature’.
The wonderkid will only cost around €5m (£4.3m) to sign, but his next move is nevertheless wedded to Rashford’s future.
The report explains how Barca will only be able to afford Varela if they decide against activating their €30m option to sign Rashford permanently.
Previously, Barca would have captured both players, to enhance their current attack while also preparing for the future. However, they are feeling the pinch of financial restrictions and cannot risk any punishment from LaLiga.
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As thing stand, it looks like Rashford is doing enough to convince Barca to splash the cash and agree a permanent deal.
Such a move would delight Amorim as it would give United extra funds to spend in the transfer market next summer.
Recent reports suggest Barca are ‘ecstatic’ with the Rashford deal, viewing him as a top-class attacker they have been able to sign on the cheap.
Fabrizio Romano said recently there is a ‘good chance’ Rashford and Barca will continue beyond this season as Flick has been impressed by him.
Romano added that the Englishman is ‘fully focused’ on making it at Barca and ‘is not even thinking about United’ right now.
One potential solution for Barca to sign both Rashford and Varela would be to offload a product of their academy.
For example, they sold the likes of Pau Victor, Alex Valle and Pablo Torre last summer to ease financial pressure.
But Barca officials are wary of selling too many exciting young players given the strong DNA of the club and how some of their academy graduates go on to become elite stars.
Barca news: Striker target; Newcastle, Man Utd exit link
Meanwhile, an in-form LaLiga striker would rather join Barca than United, it has been claimed.
A leader of the Barca dressing room is ‘at a crossroads’ in his career as he risks falling down Flick’s pecking order.
Either Newcastle or Man Utd could rescue the player in a statement move, according to a report.
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