Barcelona have turned their attention to Twente’s 18-year-old centre-back Ruud Niestadt. The Dutchman meets head coach Hansi Flick’s requirement for a left-footed defender and is viewed as a long-term solution for the Catalan club’s defensive line. However, the transfer is far from certain because of the gap between the Spanish club’s financial capabilities and the asking price.
Twente value Niestadt at around €20 million. Barcelona already tried to sign the footballer in the summer, but he chose to remain at the Dutch club at the time in order to gain experience. The interest was confirmed by the player’s father and Twente sporting director Erik ten Hag.
The Catalan club have around €3-4 million available for the January transfer window if they want to comply with the financial fair play restrictions. Barcelona’s economic vice-president Ferran Olivie described the situation by saying: „We have to sell in order to buy. The 1:1 rule means that for one player to come in, another has to leave. There is a surplus, but it is very small – €3-4 million.“
This amount is not enough to complete a deal with Twente at Niestadt’s current valuation. Therefore, a potential move for the defender will depend on a sale or another financial operation that would increase Barcelona’s available funds.
One possibility is for the Catalan club to part ways with left-back Alejandro Balde. English and Italian clubs are interested in the Spanish footballer, while Barcelona expect his transfer fee to exceed €20 million.
Balde’s sale would give the club the opportunity not only to cover the asking price for Niestadt, but also to comply with the financial fair play rules. For now, however, there is no agreed transfer, nor any official confirmation that the Twente defender will move to „Camp Nou“. Barcelona continue to look for a solution for the position, despite Andreas Christensen having already returned following a lengthy recovery from injury.