Bayer Leverkusen star flattered by Barcelona interest

Exequiel Palacios, a midfielder for Bayer Leverkusen, has acknowledged that he is

pleased that Barcelona is considering him before the summer transfer window opens.

By developing a strong central combination with Granit Xhaka,

Palacios was instrumental in Leverkusen’s journey to the Europa League final and their first-ever Bundesliga triumph this past season.

Like many other teammates that Xabi Alonso shaped,

his contributions have not gone unnoticed by major league teams,

and Barca has been linked to him as they look to replace Oriol Romeu in the midfield.

“I’m proud that a big team like Barca noticed me,” Palacios shot back, according to Mundo Deportivo.

However, the 25-year-old, who was acquired from River Plate back in 2020,

just in September agreed to a new long-term deal for between €35 million and €40 million, which will last until 2028.

That might be a problem for Barcelona, which still have to make financial

concessions and might be open to offers for nearly every player,

A tight spending restriction may make even that amount tough, but strangely,

Leverkusen’s strong finances would provide them with competition in the race for the Spaniard.

With Hansi Flick’s appointment, Barcelona will have a German head

coach for the first time since the illustrious Udo Lattek’s brief tenure in the early 1980s.

His entrance follows the absurd Xavi incident, which saw the legendary player from

Camp Nou fired him only a few weeks after he was convinced to change his mind and walk away.

The new leader, on a deal until 2026, has never worked beyond his own Germany in almost 30 years as a coach or manager.

However, he was a member of the team that ensured Germany’s fourth World Cup victory in 2014,

and in 2020, he led Bayern Munich to Champions League glory.

Get more related news on https://sportviewers.com