Barcelona have yet to discover whether they will be able to use Dani Olmo in the second half of the season and there are a number of clubs ready to pounce
Barcelona have yet to discover whether they will be able to use Dani Olmo in the second half of the season and there are a number of clubs ready to pounce Barcelona have yet to discover whether they will be able to use Dani Olmo in the second half of the season and there are a number of clubs ready to pounce
AC Milan have attempted to beat Arsenal and Manchester City to the punch and sign Dani Olmo, it has been claimed.
Olmo joined Barcelona from RB Leipzig over the summer, returning to the club where he spent time as a youngster. However, La Liga’s wage restrictions leave the Catalan club in danger of being unable to register him for the second half of the season.
The restrictions include a carve-out for clubs losing players to long-term injuries. This meant Barca – despite falling outside the cap – were able to call upon Olmo and Pau Victor while they were without Ronald Araujo and Andreas Christensen.
They have to meet the league’s requirements afresh for the second half of the campaign, and so far have been unable to do so. City and Arsenal are both fans of Olmo, and have been linked with an opportunistic swoop without paying a transfer fee, but Milan appear ready to test the water as well.
According to CdS (via Football Espana), Milan’s offer comes from a recognition that Olmo is in no hurry to leave Barcelona. He signed a contract until the summer of 2030, and has impressed under Hansi Flick.
Milan are said to be prepared to match his Barca wages on a six-month deal. The move would see him return to Catalunya in the summer and – all being well – return to the starting XI under Flick next season.
Olmo scored five times in 11 La Liga appearances in the first half of the season, including three in his first three games before an injury interrupted his fast start. The playmaker – part of Spain’s Euro 2024 winning squad – also scored his first Champions League goal for Barca in a November victory over Brest.
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Barcelona have been attempting to raise funds from multiple sources to fall in line with La Liga’s regulations and continue to call upon Olmo. Measures including the selling-off of VIP seats, with a multi-million pound deal reportedly struck in January
La Liga and the Spanish FA are understood to have jointly rejected Barca’s latest bid to register Olmo and Pau Victor, prompting a legal action from the club. It remains to be seen whether Flick’s team get their way.
Neither player was involved in the Copa Del Rey match against UD Barbastro on Saturday, though goalkeeper Wojciech Szczesny – who joined on a free earlier this season after coming out of retirement – made his debut. Robert Lewandowski scored twice in a 4-0 victory against their lower-league opponents, with Eric Garcia and Pablo Torre also on target.
Flick’s team still have more than a week to go before they resume their La Liga season, giving them time to pursue their action over Olmo and Pau Victor. However, they could be forced to make do without the pair for their Supercopa campaign in Saudi Arabia in the interim.
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