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Barcelona presidential candidates have been offered the chance to sign both Manchester City striker Sergio Aguero and Bayern Munich defender David Alaba at the end of the season.
Both players will be available for free on July 1 after coming to the end of their contracts and have been offered to the cash-strapped Catalan giants, according to Fernando Polo at Mundo Deportivo.
Barcelona’s presidential elections were due to take place on January 24 but have had to be postponed because of the coronavirus pandemic. The elections could now take place on March 7, as reported by ESPN.
Interim president Carles Tusquets has already advised that Barcelona’s financial problems mean the club must only buy players if they can arrive for “zero cost” or after a player has been sold.
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Aguero to Leave Man City?
Aguero “does not intend to renew” his contract with Pep Guardiola’s team and Barca’s three presidential candidates, Joan Laporta, Victor Font and Toni Freixa, have already been offered the option to bring him to the club.
Barca view the 32-year-old Argentine as an interesting option in the short term because he is a quality striker, will arrive for free, and is also a close friend of captain Lionel Messi.
Barca lost Luis Suarez to Atletico Madrid in the summer and failed to bring in a replacement for the Uruguay international. The report suggests Aguero could act as a stop-gap until Barca have the funds to go for a big names such as Inter’s Lautaro Martinez or Borussia Dortmund’s Erling Haaland.
Aguero has been at Manchester City since 2011 and is the club’s all-time highest goal-scorer. He has won four Premier League titles, the FA Cup, and five League Cups with the Citizens.
Alaba to Arrive at Barcelona?
Bayern defender Alaba is also a free agent in the summer and interests Barcelona due to his ability to play at left-back, center-back, and as a defensive midfielder.
Alaba’s agent, Pini Zahavi, has a good relationship with presidential candidate Laporta who looks the favorite to win the elections after garnering the most signatures in order to become an official candidate.
Laporta has spoken about Alaba recently amid reports the Bayern defender has already agreed a move to La Liga rivals Real Madrid, as reported by Football Espana.
I think that Madrid doesn’t have Alaba tied up. The first thing I’ll do is talk with the current sporting director to find out how things are. I’m ready to make the sporting improvements that I think we need.
Alaba is not the only defender believed to be on Barcelona’s radar. The Catalan giants are also set to sign Eric Garcia from Manchester City on a free transfer in the summer, according to Sport.
Garcia actually came through the ranks at Barcelona before leaving for Manchester City in 2017. Coach Ronald Koeman admitted back in October that he wants Garcia back at the Camp Nou and that the youngster is keen to return to his former club.