Hansi Flick lines up Bayer Leverkusen star as first Barcelona signing

Barcelona’s summer transfer plans will be impacted by the expected arrival of Hansi Flick.

The German coach is heavily tipped to come in as Xavi Hernandez’s replacement in the coming days with the latter sacked by La Blaugana.

Despite the suddenness of Xavi’s departure, Barcelona want to source their new manager quickly, with Flick the No.1 target.

As the move to bring Flick to Catalonia takes shape, the former Bayern Munich boss is reportedly working on a package to source his ideal backroom team, in a wider deal.

Flick will also be looking to bolster his Barcelona squad ahead of the 2024/25 season despite their limited transfer budget.

Bayer Leverkusen winger Exequiel Palacios is a key option, on the back of a superb season, as part of the club’s first ever Bundesliga title win.

The Argentina international is under contract at the BayArena until 2028 and Leverkusen will demand at least €40m to open transfer talks over the 25-year-old winger.