Barcelona transfer news: Catalan giants 'fail twice' in £86m Premier League pursuit

Barcelona’s financial struggles are no longer a secret. Despite their delicate situation, the Catalan club made two attempts to land a Premier League star valued at €100m (around £86m) — but were ultimately discouraged by the asking price.

After spending heavily on failed transfers such as Philippe Coutinho (€160m - £142m), Antoine Griezmann (€120m - £104m), Ousmane Dembele (€105m - £91m) and Miralem Pjanic (€65m - £56m), Barcelona have shifted their strategy in recent years. The club now relies more on La Masia graduates and lower-cost targets on the transfer market — an approach that has yielded better results of late.

Even so, Barca remain alert to high-profile opportunities, as was the case with Nico Williams, who ultimately renewed his contract at Athletic Bilbao. According to Sport, the club also made serious efforts to sign Bruno Guimaraes in both 2023 and 2024. However, the move fell through primarily due to the high fee demanded by Newcastle United.

Barcelona put off by Guimaraes price tag

© Imago

Bruno Guimaraes is currently valued at €100m (£86m), a figure that has so far discouraged multiple suitors from making a move. The 27-year-old is widely regarded as one of the best midfielders in the Premier League — and indeed, in European football more broadly.

Barcelona were eager to bring the Brazilian to Camp Nou, but the player’s valuation proved to be a major stumbling block. The midfielder is under contract with Newcastle until June 2028, and the English club are expected to take a hard line in any negotiations — just as they did with Alexander Isak when Liverpool showed interest earlier this year.

Meanwhile, the Catalans are reportedly open to selling Dani Olmo for €60m (£52m), with the hope of generating funds to pursue other targets in future transfer windows.

This article was originally published on Top Mercato.