Barcelona confident of lowering €25 million release clause of latest defensive target – report | OneFootball

Andrei Ratiu has recently become a hot topic at Barcelona, with recent reports claiming that the Rayo Vallecano defender has emerged as a potential target for the Blaugrana.

The Romanian international is enjoying an impressive campaign at Rayo, which has put Barça on red alert, as the club look to shore up their ranks in the right-back unit.

It appears Jules Kounde’s performance against Celta Vigo has raised question marks over Barcelona’s lack of depth in the position. As such, the club are eyeing reinforcements.

Barća have already held talks with Ratiu’s agent over a potential move for the player, but talks are still at an early stage.

Ratiu’s release clause and why it could be a problem

However, the biggest obstacle for Barcelona in their bid to sign Andrei Ratiu will be his release clause.

Is Andrei Ratiu an ideal option for Barcelona? (Photo by Carl Recine/Getty Images)

According to MARCA, the Romanian international has a €25 million release clause embedded in his contract.

This is quite a significant amount for Barcelona given the club’s ongoing economic woes. The club, therefore, might not be able to weigh up a move next summer, let alone the upcoming winter transfer window.

Barcelona confident of lowering Ratiu’s value

That said, the report suggests Barcelona are confident of convincing Rayo Vallecano to lower the value of Ratiu’s release clause.

That is because Barcelona believe Rayo Vallecano are in dire need of fresh revenue, which could force them to sell the player at a lowered valuation.

However, it must be noted that Ratiu’s former club, Villarreal, still hold 50% of his transfer rights, meaning Vallecano will only receive half of the transfer proceeds.

Not to mention, Barcelona are not the only club interested in Ratiu as the Romanian is also courted by Napoli. Therefore, it will be interesting to see how things unfold in the coming weeks.