Barcelona’s pursuit of Jorge Salinas has become more complicated after the defender’s release clause officially rose to €16 million on 1 July.
The debate around his price had been central to negotiations with Racing Santander. Barca believed there was a window to sign him for €8 million before the end of June, while Racing always defended a higher valuation once their promotion to La Liga changed the situation.
[According to AS](https://as.com/futbol/primera/jorge-salinas-ya-vale-16-millones-f202607-n/), the start of the 2026-27 season has now ended the argument. Salinas is considered a first-team player at a La Liga club, and his current clause is €16 million.
That is a major shift for Barcelona, who had been tracking the 19-year-old as a smart market opportunity rather than an expensive defensive investment.
Salinas remains a very attractive profile. He is young, left-footed, versatile, and already tested in senior football, exactly the kind of defender Barcelona like to identify before his value explodes.
The player is also said to prefer Barca despite interest from clubs such as Atletico Madrid, PSG, Newcastle, and Porto. That gives the Catalan club an important advantage, but not enough to ignore the price.
Racing’s stance is firm: clause paid or no deal. The Cantabrian club have taken similar positions in previous cases, so Barca should not expect an easy discount.
The only possible route may be including a young player on loan to make the operation more attractive for Racing. Xavi Espart was previously close to joining them before injury stopped that move, which shows there has been a sporting connection between the clubs.
From a Barca perspective, the question is now about value. At €8 million, Salinas looked like a clever bet. At €16 million, the margin for error is smaller.
If Deco and Hansi Flick truly see him as a future first-team defender, the club may still push. But Barcelona must be careful not to turn a smart opportunity into an overpriced chase.