Barcelona CAN'T AFFORD star who is desperate to join

Tom Weber

• Updated: 28 Jun 2023 19:32 BST
• 3 min read

Marcelo Brozovic is keen on joining Barcelona, but the Blaugrana are struggling to match Inter's demands, according to Spanish media.

The Croatian midfielder is the subject of a big tug-of-war between Barcelona and Saudi club Al-Nassr. The Blaugrana are looking to add to their midfield in hopes of adequately replacing club legend Sergio Busquets, while the Riyadh side want to bring in another big name after Cristiano Ronaldo and Hakim Ziyech to further increase the Pro League's standing in the game.

Indeed, negotiations between the latter and Brozovic had been ongoing, but they have now ground to a halt, claim various reports. This is not because of anything related to finances. On the contrary, according to Matteo Moretto, the Saudi club have met all of the 30-year-old's demands, but the interest from Barcelona appears more intriguing.

Brozovic himself has not spoken about his future, merely resorting to cryptic social media messages like "the world is yours" and "more to come, stay tuned."

READ: Barcelona eye ex-Chelsea midfielder as SHOCK Busquets replacement

Barcelona's financial issues

According to Fabrizio Romano, Brozovic has no intention of joining Al-Nassr. Spanish media, meanwhile, claim that the midfielder has given Barcelona a deadline by which to submit an official offer.

Yet Barcelona's financial issues are a major cause for concern and explain why no bid has been made thus far. The Blaugrana reportedly can't afford to match Inter's sizeable demands for a player whose contract still runs until 2026.

READ: Chelsea beat Barcelona to €15m Brazilian wonderkid transfer

Indeed, the Catalans are also struggling to bring in Vitor Roque. A deal has apparently been all but agreed but the uncertainty over whether they would actually be able to register him for next season means that no announcement has as yet been made.

Barcelona have already confirmed the signing of Ilkay Gundogan on a free transfer, while Inigo Martinez is also expected to join on a Bosman. Without any high-profile sales, bringing more players in will prove to be a challenge.