No financial boost for Barcelona with former youngster’s move to Bundesliga club off – report | OneFootball

Former Barcelona player Mikayil Faye was linked with a transfer from Rennes to Bayer Leverkusen earlier this week, sparking interest in the Catalan club’s offices as they held rights over 30% of any transfer fee.

The reigning Bundesliga champions, after all, reportedly had Faye on their three-man shortlist as an emergency centre-back option and valued his versatility and quality given his age.

Now, as relayed by Florian Plettenberg via SPORT, the German club have decided not to sign Faye this winter.

Barcelona have to wait

Xabi Alonso’s side are rumoured to prefer an experienced option in the current mid-season window and will thus sign Mario Hermoso to reinforce their centre-back position.

Faye will thus star in France until the end of the season and talks over a departure could heat up in June. Barcelona, for their part, must thus wait six more months before they can hope to make some profit off the player.

Staying at Rennes. (Photo by David Ramos/Getty Images)

The Senegalese international is contractually obligated to Rennes until 2028 but may well push for an exit in June given his situation under Jorge Sampaoli.

Despite starting the season well, the ex-Barça star has not participated in Rennes’ last four games and last featured in the first week of January.

Struggling for minutes at a stage where he must grow as a player does not sit well for him and interest from clubs like Bayer Leverkusen who even compete in Europe may thus push him into forcing a departure.

Rennes signed the defender for €10.3 million last summer and will thus not make it easy for the player to leave. Should he find a way to wriggle out, however, Barcelona can be sure to get a sizeable sum.