FC Barcelona unload Riqui Puig and Óscar Mingueza
FC Barcelona has agreed to the transfers of Riqui Puig and Oscar Mingueza in rapid succession
A preliminary agreement for Óscar Mingueza was made between Barça and Celta Vigo on July 30th. The deal was made official August 2nd, with Barcelona announcing confirmation of the transfer via their website. The financial terms of this deal have yet to be made public and confirmed, however, I have seen reports of a fee around 3 million euros. Barça also retains the right to repurchase the player in the future and 50% of any future sale. The Catalonian-born defender has been with FC Barcelona his entire footballing career; Now, he begins a new journey at Celta Vigo, where I hope he gets the playing time he deserves and develops into the really solid player I know he came
Without skipping a beat, reports emerged the next day confirming an agreement between FC Barcelona and MLS side, Los Angeles Galaxy, for Riqui Puig. Barça appears to be letting Puig leave on a free transfer, and the La Masia product has reportedly signed a three-year deal with the Galaxy. The 23-year old midfielder has shown glimpses of real talent, but has struggled desperately for playing time in a crowded Barça midfield. It seems it was the wrong decision for Riqui to gut it out with Barça and fight for a place in the squad the last few years. I believe it would have benefitted him greatly to have moved to another club and get consistent playing time to hone his skills and develop into a true gem. It must be said that 23 is not old at all, but it's just sad to me that he showed so much promise the last few seasons and feels almost wasted time for the player.
This set of transfers comes at an important time, with FC Barcelona under increasing pressure to meet UEFA Financial Fair Play regulations and register summer signings Robert Lewandowski, Raphinha, and Jules Kounde. With that said, rumors are heating up that backup goalkeeper, Neto, may be on the move to English Premier League side, Bournemouth. According to Fabrizio Romano, a renowned football transfer journalist, a full agreement for the player has not been reached. This transfer window is showing no signs of slowing down, as I fully expect to see even more Barcelona players shipped off to greener pastures
As a Barça fan myself, I struggle to understand how the club is able to make some moves they have, but I am choosing to Trust the Process; borrowing this mantra from my NBA team, Philadelphia 76ers.
See ya!
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