Barcelona are planning to welcome back one of their players in Chadi Riad, when the summer transfer window opens. The La Masia academy player made the move to Real Betis this season and has played 13 games, impressing in his time with the first team.
After working out a deal with Real Betis, the plan for them is to re-sign him for €7 million and sell one of their current defenders for a big fee. All signs point to Andreas Christensen leaving the Catalonians at the end of the season, as he has been linked with a return to the Premier League.
Chadi Riad to return to Barcelona in the summer to replace Andreas Christensen?
Barcelona’s deal with Real Betis is quite complex, with the Basque side only able to buy him out at the end of the season. Once they have completed their part of the deal, Barca will exercise their buyback clause to bring him back to the club. The clause is priced at €7 million, and Barcelona also retain a 50% sell-on clause, which will make their effective spend a mere €3.5 million.
The 20-year-old is set to make his debut for the Moroccan national team in the coming weeks, after being called up by Walid Regragui for AFCON 2024.
As for Andreas Christensen, a move to Manchester United and Newcastle United has been rumoured. But, neither club will be able to sign him in January since Barcelona want to retain the centre-back until the end of the season. He has featured regularly under Xavi, making 15 LaLiga appearances, and will be able to generate a significant amount of money for the Catalonians in the summer.
