Barcelona’s move for Spanish teenager delayed due to release clause disagreement | OneFootball

According to SPORT, Barcelona’s pursuit of Racing Santander defender Jorge Salinas has reached a temporary standstill after the two clubs failed to agree on the interpretation of the player’s release clause.

While Barcelona and the player have already reached an agreement on personal terms, negotiations with Racing have stalled over the transfer fee, preventing the deal from being finalized.

Disagreement over the release clause

At the center of the dispute is the value of Salinas’ release clause following Racing’s promotion to La Liga.

Racing argue that the clause automatically increased from €8 million to €16 million as soon as the club secured promotion, meaning any interested team must now pay the higher amount.

Barcelona, however, interpret the contract differently. The Catalan club, supported by Salinas’ representatives, believee Racing does not officially become a La Liga club until July 1, when the 2025/26 season formally ends.

Move for Salinas on pause. (Picture credit: Instagram/@jorgesaliiinas)

Under that interpretation, Barcelona maintain that the €8 million clause remains valid until June 30. Resolving this disagreement has become the main obstacle to completing the transfer.

Negotiating the structure of the deal

Once the clubs settle on the transfer fee, discussions will shift toward the payment structure.

Barcelona are considering whether to pay the amount entirely in cash or include one or more academy players as part of the agreement.

Jan Virgili, currently at RCD Mallorca, on whom Barcelona have a buyback option, has been mentioned as one of the possible players who could be involved in such an arrangement, although no decision has been made.

While negotiations continue, Salinas has joined Spain’s Under-19 national team ahead of the UEFA European Under-19 Championship in Wales.

Barcelona remain confident of closing the deal. (Photo by Juan Manuel Serrano Arce/Getty Images)

Following the training camp, Spain will begin the tournament against hosts Wales before facing Denmark and Germany in the group stage. The competition could keep him occupied until mid-July if Spain progress to the knockout rounds.

Barcelona confident

Despite the current impasse, Barcelona remain optimistic about completing the transfer.

The club moved quickly after Salinas impressed during Racing’s promotion-winning campaign, viewing the left-footed defender as one of Spain’s most promising young defensive talents.

Other clubs, including Villarreal and Atletico Madrid, continue to monitor Salinas’ situation closely.

However, Barcelona believe they remain in the strongest position thanks to their agreement with the player and their intention to integrate him directly into Flick’s first-team squad for preseason.

The immediate priority is resolving the disagreement over the release clause.