FC Barcelona is set to pocket several millions of dollars as part of a transfer made to the Premier … [+]
FC Barcelona is set to pocket several millions of dollars as part of a transfer made to the Premier League.
Barca effectively sold Chadi Riad to La Liga rivals Real Betis last summer, by way of a season-long loan agreement which came with a mandatory option to buy him for $3.2 million (€3 million).
There were rumors of Riad possibly being brought back to Catalonia, but an “overbooking” of central defenders meant that never came to pass.
Considering who is already in the first-team squad and figures such as Clement Lenglet and Eric Garcia set to return from their own temporary assignments at Aston Villa and Girona respectively, Hansi Flick will have no fewer than eight centre backs on his books.
The rise of Pau Cubarsi means that the 17-year-old La Masia graduate was Flick’s predecessor Xavi Hernandez’s first choice – and will probably be the German’s too – alongside Ronald Araujo as Inigo Martinez and Andreas Christensen provide back up.
Riad is surplus to requirements then, which is why Barca greenlit his sale to Crystal Palace.
“I am very happy to join Crystal Palace,” Riad said after the transfer was announced on Friday.
“I was interested in coming here because of the history of the club and the league in which it plays. They have told me how they have played this year and I think it complements perfectly with my way of playing. The club has high-level players who are young and I have come here to follow their same trajectory, to grow as they have grown.”
The Premier League club will pay $16 million (€15 million) for the Spanish 20-year-old of Moroccan descent, with SPORT reporting that Barca will pocket more than $8.5 million (€8 million) of the amount which will help balance the books before the end of the financial year on June 30.
The Catalan paper explains that Barca could be set to receive even more money from the sale of Riad because of add-ons which might be triggered in the coming months or years.
Elsewhere, the Blaugrana will hope that another of its former defenders in Jean-Clair Todibo is sold to the Premier League as it can receive 10% of any future sale by Nice.