Barcelona lead race to sign highly-rated defender with €8m release clause | OneFootball

Barcelona are planning to address their defensive options during the upcoming summer transfer window, which opens on the 1st of July. But before then, they could move to seal their second signing after Anthony Gordon.

The current plan is for at least one full-back and one centre-back to be added to Hansi Flick’s squad over the summer, and while the former has been put on hold for the time being due to Al Hilal’s stance on selling Joao Cancelo, Barcelona are prepared to move forward with plans to bring in a new central defender.

Rather than spend big on a top player, Barcelona are prepared to sign a low-cost centre-back, as they consider themselves to be largely happy with the options they have now. One candidate that has emerged in recent weeks is Jorge Salinas, and according to Jijantes, the Catalans are currently leading the race to sign the 19-year-old Racing Santander player.

Confusion over Salinas asking price

Photo by Juan Manuel Serrano Arce/Getty Images

The report claims that Paris Saint-Germain, Newcastle United, Eintracht Frankfurt and Bologna are among the clubs interested in Salinas, but right now, Barcelona have positioned themselves at the front of the queue. As a result, they could make a move imminently, and they will need to if they are to sign him for €8m.

Salinas’ Racing release clause has been valued at €8m for a while, but it will jump to €16m as a result of the Cantabrians’ promotion to La Liga. This has already been sealed, but Jijantes assured that the clause will remain at its original value until the 30th of June, meaning that Barcelona have 12 days to sign him for a reduced price.

As a left-sided central defender, Salinas fits the profile that Barcelona want for their new centre-back, while it is an added bonus that he can operate as a left-back when necessary. He’s certainly an attractive option, but it remains to be seen whether he is signed in the coming weeks.