Barcelona are actually demanding this star take a pay cut to join them
Barcelona claim they can’t meet Darijo Srna’s salary demands
It’s quite possible that Barcelona are the richest football club in the world. Sure, various members of the Chinese Super League are spending big at the moment, but Barca are on a different level. That’s why I find it so amazing that the La Liga giants are asking Darijo Srna to take a pay cut to join them in December.
Reportedly, the club’s unwillingness to pay his current salary is giving Srna second thoughts about joining the Catalan club. For what it’s worth, countryman Ivan Rakitic and Luka Modric are both advocating he move to La Liga. Luis Enrique wants to bring Srna to the club to provide competition for Sergi Roberto at right back.
It’s hard not to think that Barcelona are being exceedingly cheap here. It’s understandable that they don’t want to pay a large transfer fee for a 34-year-old with no Spanish experience. What’s not understandable is that a club with Barcelona’s wealth aren’t willing to match the wages that Shakhtar Donetsk.
Keep in mind, this is the same club that manages to provide compensation to satisfy the likes of Luis Suarez, Neymar and Lionel Messi. Surely Srna would only require a fraction of the wages of the club’s high-profile attackers.
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Perhaps the real reason that Barcelona don’t want to pay Srna is that they aren’t actually convinced he’s the answer at right back. The reality is Sergio Roberto hasn’t been the weakness that many at the club think he has on the year. If you look at his statistical performances he’s been one of the club’s better players. It’s clear that Enrique and company aren’t satisfied.
If Barcelona really want to solve their “problems” at right back they need to purchase a much younger option. Acquiring a 34-year-old Croatian defender just isn’t going to cut it. This is Barcelona we’re talking about, not Las Palmas.
In the end, don’t bet against Darijo Srna making the jump to Barcelona. It’s impossible to believe that his wages from Shakhtar Donetsk are going to torpedo this transfer deal.