Barcelona had an agreement with Serie A midfielder before manager change, says agent | OneFootball

In a major revelation, Branislav Jarusek, the agent of Napoli and Slovakia midfielder Stanislav Lobotka has sensationally claimed that Barcelona had an agreement with the player over a summer move.

However, he added that the situation changed after Barça dismissed Xavi Hernandez from the managerial position and appointed Hansi Flick.

Lobotka and Barça had an agreement

Stanislav Lobotka has enjoyed a strong run at the ongoing UEFA Euro 2024 which has sparked a lot of interest in the Napoli midfielder.

It must be noted that the 29-year-old had been touted as a possible target for Barça when Xavi was in charge, with the club legend even praising the Slovakian ahead of the UCL showdown against Napoli.

“I like Lobotka, he builds and doesn’t lose balls. I would like to see him in a club like Barça,” he had said.

Now, his agent has revealed that Xavi’s wish could have come true as there was an agreement between Barcelona and Lobotka.

“We had agreed terms with Barcelona, but there was a change of coach. The situation is not clear and Barcelona has some economic problems. We were stunned,” revealed Jarusek in an interview (h/t Mundo Deportivo).

Lobotka was admired by Xavi. (Photo by Alex Grimm/Getty Images)

However, interestingly, Jarusek added that the deal is not dead and buried yet, saying: “It is not a dead end yet, the situation is evolving.”

At the same time, he also hinted that Lobotka has interest from other clubs, stating: “Everybody knows what a player like Lobotka is. They know it in Barcelona, Madrid and England.”

Flick has other ideas

As mentioned earlier, Xavi rated Lobotka highly and as such his name was on the agenda for the pivot position heading into the summer.

However, Barcelona are under new management now with Hansi Flick taking over and the German tactician has other ideas.

It was already seen in the club pulling out from the Guido Rodriguez deal despite having an agreement and the same is likely to happen with Lobotka as well.

Meanwhile, Barça are pursuing other midfielders with names like Joshua Kimmich, Amadou Onana, and Mikel Merino now emerging as primary targets.