Full story behind Champions League finalist’s failed transfer to Barcelona – report | OneFootball

Denzel Dumfries had set his sights on joining FC Barcelona this summer and placed his future in the hands of super-agent Jorge Mendes to make the transfer happen.

The Portuguese agent, who has close ties with the Blaugrana, put forward the right-back’s name on the table in recent meetings with the club officials.

However, the Catalan giants had no room to manoeuvre financially and were ultimately unable to proceed with the deal.

The full story

According to La Gazzetta dello Sport (h/t SPORT), Dumfries’ priority was a transfer to Barcelona. To help him secure the move, the Dutch international parted ways with his former representation agency and signed with Mendes.

The superagent worked on the operation in recent weeks, and the La Liga champions studied the deal carefully.

But they were unable to meet the €25 million release clause before the end of July, when it expires. As a result, the player will remain in Italy unless something unexpected occurs.

Mendes began working with Dumfries at the end of April and identified an opportunity to place him at Barcelona after the Champions League semi-finals.

By the end of the season, Barcelona had all the details of the operation. In fact, the player’s salary demands fit within the club’s wage structure, and Inter Milan were even willing to accept payment of the €25 million clause in instalments.

Dumfries wanted to join Barcelona this summer. (Photo by Buda Mendes/Getty Images)

In a different financial situation, Barcelona might not have hesitated. The Portuguese agent held several high-level meetings with the Catalans in recent months, and Dumfries’ name was consistently part of the conversation.

But shifting priorities and ongoing financial constraints ultimately prevented the club’s sporting department from operating normally in the market.

Deco had expected Barcelona to enter the 1:1 financial rule sooner, which would have allowed sufficient flexibility to sign a goalkeeper, a winger, and a right-back.

As a result, Joan Garcia was signed early, and the club fully entered the race for Luis Diaz despite Liverpool’s high demands. But everything fell apart due to the inability to register new players.

The Dumfries case followed a similar path. He was a profile the club liked, and the player was willing to wait for Barcelona until the very end. Mendes also assisted in several outgoing transfers to help make room for new arrivals.

However, 31 July arrived and neither Deco nor the club were able to take the decisive step. Reports in Italy confirm that Barcelona’s interest was genuine and that the player believed the deal could be done.

However, only hours remain before his €25 million release clause expires, but the move is now considered off the table.