Senior Barcelona figure moving closer to join Cristiano Ronaldo’s Al Nassr; Laporta will not stand in his way | OneFootball

Barcelona vice president Rafa Yuste is facing a major career decision that could see him leave the club soon.

According to Mundo Deportivo, Yuste is being strongly considered for the role of CEO at the Saudi Arabian side Al Nassr.

In fact, he is expected to return to Barcelona just a day after the friendly against Vissel Kobe in Japan, but that return might be short-lived.

Two tasks at hand

The outlet mentions that His comeback has two key reasons behind it. Firstly, Yuste will help sporting director Deco with player transfers, offering guidance and support as the summer window heats up.

But the second and more crucial reason is that his return may signal the beginning of his exit.

Sources inside the club believe Yuste is close to accepting Al Nassr’s offer, a move that comes with great financial rewards and professional recognition.

Rafa Yuste is set to leave Barcelona. (Photo by PAU BARRENA/AFP via Getty Images)

As such, President Joan Laporta is reportedly not standing in the way of the potential move. Yuste and Laporta have shared a close friendship since childhood, and there is mutual respect between them.

The final decision now lies with Yuste himself, who is currently weighing the benefits of the Al Nassr offer against his loyalty to Barcelona and his strong relationship with Laporta.

Joan Soler lined up as replacement

Should Yuste decide to make the move to Saudi Arabia, Barcelona already have a possible replacement in mind. Joan Soler, the current sporting director, is seen as the favourite to step into the role of vice president of sports.

This is not the first time Soler has been in contention for the position. Last season, he was already being considered for the role when there were talks of Yuste shifting to the marketing department after Juli Guiu’s resignation.

Although that change never happened, it shows the trust the board has in Soler to take on a bigger responsibility if needed.