La Liga heavyweights Barcelona are reportedly conceiving a ploy to sign 21-year-old Brazilian midfielder Danilo from Palmeiras.
According to a report by Spanish outlet Estadio Deportivo, Barcelona will look for a convoluted way to sign Danilo. The Catalan giants want to enter into a partnership with Real Betis to land the 21-year-old Palmeiras midfielder. And the deal will be similar to the proposal that saw Emerson Royal arrive in Spain from Atletico Mineiro.
Danilo is one of the brightest young midfielders in Brazil, with the player making swift progress at Palmeiras. The youngster has been with Palmeiras for nearly half a decade and has risen in stature considerably at the club. He made his first-team debut as a 19-year-old in September 2020 and is now a pivotal figure for Palmeiras.
The 21-year-old has turned out 141 times thus far for Palmeiras, chipping in with 12 goals and nine assists. And Danilo is also on the cusp of making his debut for the Brazilian national side after Tite handed him his first call-up this year. At the same time, the player’s progress has captured the attention of several high-profile clubs, including Barcelona.
Barcelona might lose Sergio Busquets in the summer transfer window and will enter the market for a long-term successor. Widespread reports suggest Busquets will leave Barcelona on his own accord. And several midfielders have emerged on the Catalan club’s radar over a possible summer move.
Danilo is one such candidate for Barcelona, and the 21-year-old is a viable long-term target. But the Blaugrana cannot afford the Brazilian midfielder amid the never-ending financial mess. While Barcelona signed several players in unbelievable deals, they do not have the funds to pursue the top players this year.
So Barcelona will look for a partnership with Real Betis over a convoluted deal. The structure of such a proposal will be similar to the package that saw Emerson Royal arrive in Spain a few years ago. Real Betis will likely see Danilo representing them for a couple of seasons before he formally joins Barcelona.
The package for Emerson had seen Barcelona and Real Betis pay half the transfer fee. And Real Betis also pocketed a percentage of the price that Tottenham paid for the Brazilian in 2021. But with Arsenal keen on signing the 21-year-old Brazilian midfielder, a move is not set in stone.
