Romano announces Barcelona's next signing: Flick 'serious' about €8m bargain

19 Jun 2026 17:01 BST | 5 min read

Fabrizio Romano, Barcelona, 2025/26 — © IMAGO

Tom Weber | Writer

Multilingual sports writer who specialises in European football and American soccer.

Fabrizio Romano has announced Barcelona's next possible signing in a surprise twist.

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The Blaugrana are going big this summer. After finally returning to the vaunted 1:1 rule, which allows them to reinvest every penny they make in revenues back into their playing squad, the Catalans are making a splash.

Newcastle winger Anthony Gordon has already been signed in a shock €80 million deal, while Egyptian wonderkid Hamza Abdelkarim has had his loan from Al-Ahly to Barca Atletic made permanent.

Meanwhile, Barcelona continue their efforts to sign Atletico Madrid striker Julian Alvarez. A €100m bid for the Argentine has been rejected by the Rojiblancos, but the reigning LaLiga champions won't give up that easily.

Barcelona remain in talks with the camp of Alvarez in the knowledge that the 26-year-old is desperate to join. He is not agitating for a move away from Atleti - his full focus is on the World Cup - but we certainly haven't heard the last of this story.

Barcelona want bargain youngster

Against the backdrop of the high-profile pursuit of Alvarez and other big-name targets, Barcelona's potential next signing is quite a surprising one. Fabrizio Romano reports that the Catalans are giving "serious consideration" to purchasing Jorge Salinas from Racing Santander.

The 19-year-old is primarily a left-back and made 33 appearances in LaLiga 2 as Racing won promotion to the top flight for the first time in over a decade. They are a popular team and one of the founding members of LaLiga, so their return was widely celebrated.

Salinas was a standout performer, notching an impressive seven assists from his defensive position. Despite this attacking drive, the youngster is a physical presence and can also play at centre-back if needs must.

This versatility and his eminent potential make him attractive to Barcelona, as does his price. Due to a release clause, Salinas can be picked up for just €8m this summer.

Romano insists that "nothing is done yet," but the fact that Barcelona's interest in the teenager is described as "serious" suggests that he could conceivably become their next summer signing.

Unsurprisingly, Salinas is understood to be keen on joining the reigning Spanish champions.

What does Salinas' signing mean for Barca's squad?

The exact ramifications of Salinas' signing, should it indeed materialise, are not yet entirely clear. He is too good and experienced to be playing for Barca Atletic, so he would surely come in to take a place in the first team.

Barcelona have Alejandro Balde in the left-back position, while Gerard Martin and Joao Cancelo can also play there. The Blaugrana are currently locked in talks with Al-Hilal over a permanent deal for the latter, who spent the second half of last season on loan in Catalunya.

The interest in Salinas suggests that Barcelona are either about to give up on trying to sign Cancelo or that they expect one of Balde or Martin to leave. Both have been the subject of interest, with Balde seemingly the more likely player to leave.

Reports in Spain have been suggesting for several weeks that Barcelona would be willing to cash in on the 22-year-old should a suitable offer arise. Balde has failed to really kick on after his impressive 2022/23 season and is not considered untouchable.

It remains to be seen what exactly will happen, but Salinas' arrival could herald a major departure.

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