Barcelona are reportedly willing to terminate the contract of backup goalkeeper Neto if they cannot find buyers for him in the summer.
According to Catalunya Radio, Barcelona are ready to sell second-choice goalkeeper Neto Murara in the summer transfer window. If they cannot find any suitors for the Brazilian, Barcelona are also prepared to release him by terminating his contract and handing him a payoff.
Neto signed for Barcelona in the summer of 2019 from fellow La Liga club Valencia in a convoluted agreement that saw Jasper Cillessen make the switch to the Mestalla. However, the former Juventus goalkeeper has had to play second-fiddle to Marc-Andre ter Stegen throughout his near three-year spell at Camp Nou.
Since joining the Catalan outfit, Neto has taken the field just 20 times across all competitions in close to three full seasons. He has managed to keep a clean sheet on seven of those occasions.
The Brazilian veteran has been pushing for an exit since last year and has previously courted interest from clubs in the Premier League. Neto was also linked with a departure during the January transfer window, with Flamengo looking to lure him away from Camp Nou and back to his homeland.
Barcelona are now ready to sanction the departure of the 32-year-old at the end of the season. The Blaugrana wish to bring in a new shot-stopper to provide better competition for ter Stegen, who himself has struggled at times in the ongoing campaign. In order to make room for the new arrival, the club are willing to let go of Neto.
In the past, there has been plenty of interest in the Brazilian. Those clubs could present themselves as suitors once again for his services, particularly considering that the Brazilian will be entering the final year of his contract with Barcelona at the end of the season. But in case there are no takers, the La Liga heavyweights are prepared to offer Neto a way out by giving him the ‘letter of freedom’.
It means that Barcelona will agree with the player to mutually terminate his contract in the summer and pay him a portion of the value of his remaining deal with the club. Such a move could work well for both parties, as the Blaugrana will free up space on their wage bill, while Neto’s chances of finding a new team will be higher if he were to be a free agent.
