Spanish newspaper AS have been the main paper in Spain that are suggesting Barcelona’s interest in Newcastle striker Ayoze Perez is genuine, and today they have revealed the amount the club has to spend on a new striker.
According to journalist Juan Jimenez, the Catalan side’s vice president Susana Monje told reporters that the club has “20, 22 or 24 million euros” more to invest in the squad.
The club have already spent €35million on Andre Gomes from Valencia, €25million on Lyon’s Samuel Umtiti and €16.5million on Lucas Digne from Paris Saint Germain. Barca have been turned down by strikers Luciano Vietto, Carlos Bacca and Kevin Gameiro this summer and AS believe the club have turned their attentions to Perez, Lyon’s Alexandre Lacazette and Benfica’s Jonas Goncalves Oliveira.
Arsenal had a £40m bid rejected for Lacazette, which would suggest the French striker would be out of Barca’s price range, and the same could be said for Oliveira, leaving Perez as the main target. The Evening Chronicle believe a bid from the La Liga champions has not been received yet and that Rafa Benitez is keen to keep the player.
