Barca strike deal with Atletico over new signings – report

Barcelona have reportedly agreed a £12.75m deal with Atletico Madrid which gives them first refusal on five players at the capital club. Spanish outlet Mundo Deportivo are suggesting that, under the terms of the deal, Atletico are obliged to give the Catalans a chance to offer the same bid as another club for any one of the quintet.
Saul Niguez and Jose Gimenez are reportedly included in the agreement, while unnamed members of Atletico’s Under-18s and Under-20s teams make up the numbers.
However, the deal does not mean that Barca have the right to take the players as and when they want as Diego Simeone’s side would have to be willing to sell them for any transfer to take place.
Should one of the five express an interest in leaving the Wanda Metropolitano, then the Spanish champions would be told and could make a decision on whether to proceed with a move.
 
The report also states that the summer sale of Antoine Griezmann from Atletico to Barcelona for £107m is not linked to the agreement.
While the sale of Atletico’s fringe players would be standard procedure, 24-year-old duo Saul and Gimenez are important members of the club’s first team and it is unlikely they would want a move away any time soon.
There is always the issue of game time at a colossus like Baca, where every position is filled by a world-class international.
It all depends on the ambition of the player involved and whether they want to develop with more time on the pitch of see their bank balance grow.