FC Barcelona defeated Rayo Vallecano 2-1 in the third round of La Liga, but the victory was paid for by a serious injury to defensive midfielder Marc Bernal. He tore his cruciate ligament and also damaged his meniscus, which means he will not play until the end of the season.The frantic search for his successor continues, and it seems far from over.
FC Barcelona seeks Marc Bernal replacement, Liverpool player's transfer falls through
The vice-champions of Spain wanted to bring in Stefan Bajcetić, a 19-year-old Liverpool midfielder, to replace Bernal. However, the matter was all the more complicated because the player and his club had already spoken to RB Salzburg, Kamil Piątkowski's club, and it would take a lot of convincing to change their minds. According to the well-known journalist and transfer market specialist Fabrizio Romano, the Catalans were to offer the English a one-year loan for 4 million euros, with no option to buy the player.
In time, the Italian journalist reported that Barcelona encountered problems in the form of Financial Fair Play requirements, which practically blocked the move. This is not the first such case this season, just recall the adventures of the Dani Olmo transfer. In order to register him, it was necessary, among other things, for Ilkay Gundogan to leave for free to Manchester City.
In the meantime, Salzburg has finalized the loan of Bajcetic and on Thursday the famous “here we go” was uttered, with which the Italian journalist announced the transfer was a done deal. “There was no chance for Barcelona, even with the night-time attempts [dogadania się – red.]. Financial Fair Play issues blocked the transfer and prevented it from operating within La Liga limits,” Romano wrote on X.
Stefan Bajcetić not for FC Barcelona. But they have their eyes on a PSG player
If that move fell through, who might join Barcelona? According to French media, the candidate is Danilo Pereira, who has no chance of breaking into the PSG squad, who would gladly let him go. The Portuguese international is seen by the Catalans as “an interesting option to strengthen the squad without spending excessive amounts”. But other clubs are also interested in him.
FC Barcelona need to act now that the Spanish transfer window closes at midnight on Friday 30th August. After that, they will only be able to sign players with a card in their hand.