Sources: Marcos Senesi frontrunners named as Tottenham and Newcastle race for free transfer
Barcelona are currently the favourites to sign Bournemouth centre-back Marcos Senesi on a free transfer this summer, sources have told Football Insider.
The likes of Tottenham, Newcastle, Aston Villa and Everton are all showing a strong interest in the 27-year-old, but it is understood that the option of a move to Barcelona is one that the player would find extremely hard to turn down.
Senesi is expected to be one of the “most coveted” free agents on the market this summer as he prepares to leave the Vitality Stadium, and sources say that he “ticks a lot of boxes” for Barcelona due to their financial situation and their desire to add more experience.
The Premier League sides are still not out of the race for Senesi’s signature, as the possibility of a move to the Camp Nou relies on the Spanish giants being able to table an attractive contract offer.
- Read More: Marcos Senesi’s agent reveals transfer intentions as Everton and Newcastle race for Bournemouth deal
Why Premier League clubs could still beat Barcelona to Senesi
Barcelona’s financial struggles have been well-publicised in recent years, and they are far from being out of the hole that they have slowly cast themselves into over time.
The Athletic reported via their X account back in November that the Blaugrana still had the most significant debt in world football, at a truly eye-watering £1.27billion.
Their perilous financial situation behind the scenes has seen them seriously reduce their outlay when it comes to incoming transfers in recent windows, and that is likely to continue once again this summer.
A deal for Senesi looks set to be achievable without a transfer fee when he leaves Bournemouth, but given the level of competition, he and his entourage will have the power to demand a sizeable wage packet.
With that in mind, the Premier League sides may still get the chance to steal a march on Barcelona in the race for the Argentine’s signature, provided they can offer lucrative deals to him.
Aston Villa look set to see their coffers boosted by a likely return to Champions League football next term, while both Tottenham and Newcastle have flexed their financial muscles on several occasions in recent years.
Tottenham at risk of wasting ‘enormous’ financial advantage
Former Manchester City financial advisor Stefan Borson told Football Insider earlier this week that Tottenham are at risk of blowing an “enormous” advantage as they continue to be threatened by relegation.
The financial expert feels that the Lilywhites’ state-of-the-art home in North London provides them with a huge leg up commercially compared to some of their rivals, but also added that the appeal of the stadium will only go so far.
Spurs are already set to lose some of their major partners ahead of next season, and their appeal to current and prospective sponsors would suffer a seismic blow if they were to slip into the Championship.
A hit to their turnover could drastically reduce their ability to spend in the summer market, and could make it difficult for them to attract the players that they want to improve their squad.
For more information on Spurs’ perilous financial situation, check out the expert analysis on Tottenham News.