Saudi Arabia to offer Barcelona forward €20m per season contract

Barcelona are keen to secure at least one significant sale this summer in order to ease their salary limit woes, and a number of names have been cited as potential departures. As tends to happen, Saudi Arabia have emerged as a potential solution for the Blaugrana.

Last summer Hansi Flick persuaded Raphinha to stay at the club, but Saudi Arabia were to be his destination in a big-money move, one which would have eased their financial issues. Franck Kessie had left the club for €12.5m the summer before. Fermin Lopez and Andreas Christensen have both been linked with a move to the Middle East, with the latest being Robert Lewandowski for a second summer in a row.

According to Jijantes, Saudi Arabia are also thinking about a move for Ferran Torres. They would be willing to pay Torres €20m per year on a three-year deal, and were willing to meet whatever Barcelona’s asking price would be. Torres has so far been reluctant to leave the club, amid links to the Premier League.

Former Barcelona forward Jean-Marie Dongou also explains that 18-year-old winger Jan Virgili was also a target for Saudi Arabia. Virgili, who only penned his first senior deal this season until 2027, could have earned a little under €20m across four years, but turned down the offer in order to try and make it at Barcelona.

Certainly there were reports that Virgili was receiving approaches from Saudi Arabia in January, when then Barca Atletic starlets Unai Hernandez and Pau Prim also agreed deals to move to the Middle East. Virgili looks as if he may now be on his way out of the club, with RCD Mallorca interested in signing him. Given the salary limit issues, which so far have Joan Garcia and Marcus Rashford unregistered, Barcelona are open to a sale for Virgili.