Barcelona offering SEVEN players to Inter Milan in Lautaro Martinez swap transfer including Vidal and Rakitic
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BARCELONA are reportedly prepared to allow SEVEN players to leave on swap deals to ensure Lautaro Martinez signs from Inter Milan this summer.
The combination of a ballooning wage bill and the coronavirus pandemic is pushing the Catalans towards a drastic selling spree this summer.
Thinning out the squad is a priority, as is finding a way to secure targets in key positions.
Most notably, Barcelona are seeking a long-term replacement for Luis Suarez and Argentine striker Martinez is top of their transfer wish list.
But, according to , they may only be able to offer Inter a player exchange deal with up to seven stars available.
Arturo Vidal has long been a target for the Nerazzurri and the Chilean is among those earmarked for a summer swap.
Another veteran midfielder, Ivan Rakitic, can be included in such deals with the Blaugrana aware that he can leave for free when his contract expires in 2021.
Also on the transfer list are playmakers Carles Alena and Rafinha, currently on loan at Real Betis and Celta Vigo respectively, and Samuel Umtiti.
There are said to be fears over the Frenchman's injury record with Arsenal and Manchester United also circling for the 2018 World Cup winner.
Full-backs Junior Firpo and Nelson Semedo could also be offered to Inter, the latter having been tipped to sign for Juventus in another part-exchange deal involving Miralem Pjanic.
Few players are ultimately seen as indispensable at the Camp Nou amid their economic worries, reportedly making even Antoine Griezmann, Ousmane Dembele, Arthur Melo and Philippe Coutinho available for cash offers.
Swap signings may become all the rage this summer as football recovers from the financial crisis of the pandemic.
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Juventus chief football officer Fabio Paratici stated earlier in the month that exchange deals between big clubs could be used as a way of maintaining player value in the "unique" market.
He told Sky Sports Italia: "We are going through a difficult moment globally, not just in football, and the consequences will be felt everywhere.
"I believe that if we exchange players between the top 12-15 clubs in the world, the value of the transfers won’t drop.
"When purchasing a new player, that’s a different matter and we could see a fall in the fees."
