Jorge Mendes will make August again with Barça

BarcelonaBarça is preparing for the first transfer market without restrictions imposed since before the covid pandemic. Joan Laporta has had to win two elections for the presidency of the Blaugrana to be able to go shopping with a normalized salary cap. Incorporating talent for the same value as is freed up – a quick definition of what is known as the 1:1 rule – will allow the president, for example, to fill part of the important space left by Robert Lewandowski with an expensive signing like Anthony Gordon's. He has reasons, therefore, to be happy after so many years of complications.

But diplomacy behind the scenes, essential for Javier Tebas's League to accept an optimistic revenue forecast thanks to the still distant reopening of the third tier of the Camp Nou, will give Barça the possibility of going beyond the English attacker, who is only one of the two that Hansi Flick has requested from the sporting management to be able to compete for everything. Gordon, who plays more as a winger, is complementary to the arrival of a top center forward like Julián Álvarez, who has already made it clear through his representatives that he wants to leave Atlético de Madrid to play with Lamine Yamal. Amounts aside, the main hurdle for this operation is that the mattress club, with Mateu Alemany at the helm, prefers to deal with foreign clubs rather than strengthen a direct rival in the League.

In parallel with what will be one of the transfer sagas of the summer, there is a well-known player who is preparing to make a killing again thanks to Barça. Two incoming operations and up to three outgoing ones will be coordinated by Jorge Mendes, who last summer already cashed in as the facilitator of Lamine Yamal's millionaire renewal. The super-agent has a close professional and personal relationship with Laporta and was also the representative, during his playing days, of the current Barça sporting director, Deco, whom after his retirement he had on the payroll at Gestifute, his company.

Flick does not see Bernardo Silva as essential

Mendes, therefore, works to make Bernardo Silva's arrival at Barça a reality. The Portuguese international, who will turn 32 after the World Cup, has not renewed with Manchester City and wants to fulfill a long-held wish. The Blaugrana entity offers him a two-year contract, but Hansi Flick, who does not see him as a priority, will only accept him if other needs are met first. With Bernardo, it's a bit like with Cancelo, who if he returned on loan in the last winter market, it was thanks more to Laporta and Deco than to the coach. However, the bet on the Portuguese full-back went so well that Mendes is already working to consolidate it with a transfer that will cost between 10 and 15 million euros.

In recent months, Cancelo has taken the place of Alejandro Balde, another player from the Gestifute universe. The left-back from La Verneda is one of those señalado to change airs this summer. He has a contract in force until 2028 and very little desire to leave, but Mendes will try to convince him with offers that also satisfy Barça. If the agent arrives with a proposal of 50 million (commissions to be agreed), everyone will be happy. The definitive departure of Ansu Fati, who has completed a notable season on loan at Monaco (30 games, 12 goals), is more worked out. With the 11 million the club will receive for transferring him, the 1:1 rule will already be a reality. Furthermore, Deco will free up a high salary to register the aforementioned Bernardo Silva and Cancelo, or even Marcus Rashford, who will stay in Barcelona if Manchester United makes things easier in this regard.

But there will be even more reasons to pay fees to Mendes. One of the most powerful will be Marc Casadó, also represented by the Portuguese. Conditioned by the very high competition in the Barça midfield, the player from Sant Pere de Vilamajor has accepted that it is time to try his luck outside the club of his life. Saudi teams like Cristiano Ronaldo's Al-Nassr inquired about his situation, but he prefers not to leave the European radar. He also has informal proposals from English clubs and Monaco. His departure price is 20 million, which would go entirely into the coffers. Not all of La Masia's talent fits on the Camp Nou pitch.