Barcelona have given Leicester City a clearer path to sealing a summer transfer for Atalanta and Germany star Robin Gosens, according to TuttoMercatoWEB.
The La Liga giants have assessed a move to bring Gosens to the Camp Nou as they prepare to sell Junior Firpo to Leeds United. But as soon as the Dominican’s deal is done, Barcelona will go all-out to sign Valencia full-back Jose Gaya instead.
Ronald Koeman was driving Barcelona’s interest in Gosens, who TuttoMercatoWEB have also claimed Leicester are chasing. The Foxes contacted Atalanta to discuss a move for the dynamic full-back and offered €25m (£21.5m) plus future add-ons.
But Atalanta rejected Leicester’s offer for Gosens as the Serie A side want between €35-40m (£30-£34.5m), per FC Inter News. The Italian publication also noted Juventus and Inter Milan were in the race but trailed the Foxes as Brendan Rodgers’ side are refusing to give up.
Barcelona have now given Leicester a clearer path to Gosens’ signature by favouring Gaya. They believe the German is too difficult to sign due to Atalanta’s high asking price and their poor financial situation.
The Catalan side also believe including Martin Braithwaite and Carles Alena in any deal will help them sign Gaya. Valencia boss Jose Bordalas admires the striker and midfielder, while Barcelona have a friendly relationship with their La Liga rivals.
Barcelona help clear path for Leicester to sign Gosens
Barcelona prioritising Gaya has helped clear the path for Leicester to sign Gosens, but Rodgers still has challenges to overcome. He must meet Atalanta’s asking price, while TuttoMercatoWEB noted the wing-back wanted guarantees of Champions League football.
The Foxes missed out on a top-four finish on the final day of the Premier League season last term. Gosens could look positively on Rodgers taking Leicester’s battle to the wire, although he may hold out for Juventus or Inter to make a move after Barcelona cooled their pursuit.
Rodgers should not give up yet, however, as Gosens can be a star at the King Power Stadium. He has shone at Euro 2020 with Germany, with Archie Rhind-Tutt telling talkSPORT he’s been a ‘Godsend’ for having an average-joe persona but to great effect on the pitch.
Gosens played a key role in Germany’s 4-2 group stage win over Portugal with a goal and two assists. The 26-year-old also offered Atalanta 11 goals and eight assists in 32 Serie A appearances last season.
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