‘Nothing has been signed or agreed’ – Barcelona target’s agent issues future update, hits out at Porto | OneFootball

Andy Bara, agent to several footballers including Dani Olmo, was in Barcelona this week to negotiate a potential transfer involving Cardoso Varela – a 16-year-old Portuguese winger who was developed at FC Porto and currently plays for Dinamo Zagreb.

Although no deal has yet been finalised, Barcelona, Dinamo, and Bara are working towards an agreement that would see Varela join the Catalan club, with an initial plan for him to remain on loan at the Croatian club next season.

In reaction to this, Porto – via president Andre Villas-Boas – expressed frustration, sending an official letter to Barcelona claiming ownership of the player and escalating the matter to FIFA.

Porto argued that the player left the club at a very young age and believe they still retain his rights. The Portuguese outfit went as far as calling Varela’s agents’ actions ‘kidnapping’ and threatened to break ties with Barcelona if they proceed to sign the teenager.

Andy Bara hits out at Porto

Speaking to Sportske Novosti (h/t Mundo Deportivo), Bara hit out at Villas-Boas and Porto over their recent actions.

“He was a great coach, but he is the worst president in the history of Porto. Everyone at the club knows that, including the fans. He deals with things that a club president should not handle,” said Bara.

“Porto accuses Dinamo of things that he himself does five times a year. Dinamo did everything legally and honestly. And Villas-Boas personally called at least seven or eight European clubs not to sign Varela, who was a free player at the time,” he added.

Not stopping there, Varela’s agent added: “With what he is doing, he does not even recognise the authority of FIFA and the Portuguese courts that ruled in favour of Varela and his parents, and ultimately in favour of Dinamo in February.”

“Villas-Boas is acting like that guy whose wife has already left him, she’s already with someone else, but he still insists she’s still his.”

Porto president Villas-Boas has written a letter to Barcelona over Varela pursuit. (Photo by Guido De Bortoli/Getty Images for SAFILO)

Bara clarified the situation: “To definitively close this story – because I see that in the media everything is being said – Varela is a Dinamo player and he is going to do pre-season with the team. He has won all the trials in the national court in Porto.

“The Portuguese prosecutor’s office also dismissed the criminal complaint filed by Porto and closed the case in October 2024.

“In February 2025, FIFA also ruled in favour of the player and registered him as a Dinamo player. That’s why I don’t understand some articles that are appearing in the media.”

On Varela’s future

Bara also emphasised that Barcelona are not involved in the legal side of this matter. And when asked about talks of an agreement being in place for the Catalans to sign Varela from Dinamo, the agent said:

“Barcelona has nothing to do with this. Varela is a Dinamo player, and right now ten clubs want him. If he ends up at Barça, I really don’t know. Nothing has been signed or agreed with them.”

Continuing his outburst at Villas-Boas over the letter sent to Barceloa, he added: “Then Villas-Boas sends a letter to Barça based on what he has read in the media. But what kind of club president does that?

“Let him worry about his team, who didn’t win the championship and haven’t achieved anything that was expected of Porto. To hide his incompetence, he picks on a 16-year-old.”

Clarifying the rumours of a deal worth €5 million fixed plus €20 million in performance-based add-ons being finalised with Barcelona, Bara further remarked:

“Dinamo, in the near future, if an offer comes in, will certainly not let Varela go for less than €5 million fixed, plus significant bonuses.

“If he were to leave soon for Chelsea, Real Madrid, Barcelona or, for example, Tottenham, Dinamo could earn another 20 million in bonuses. So the total could reach €25 million. But this is not the time to talk about that.

“What is clear is that Varela joins Mario Kovacevic’s team for pre-season. What happens after that, nobody knows. But if he goes to one of those clubs, the bonuses and percentages of future transfers would be huge.”