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Football

08th Aug 2020

Leicester interested in Barcelona youngster with €500 million buy-out clause

Leicester have made an initial loan bid for Barcelona youngster Francisco Trincao with an obligation to buy for a €50m fee next summer

Reuben Pinder

His buyout clause is €500 million.

Leicester City have reportedly launched a bid for Barcelona youngster Francisco Trincão.

Trincão is a relative unknown to British football fans, having just arrived at Barcelona following an announcement in January that he would join them from Portuguese side Braga, where he played just 33 games.

But, according to Fabrizio Romano, Leicester appear very keen to sign the promising Portuguese forward, with their first bid comprising a season long loan with an obligation to buy for €50m next summer.

Trincão might not have played for Barcelona yet – and increasingly looks like he never will – but in his 28 league games at Braga, he recorded eight goals and eight assists. Not bad for a teenager.

When he signed for Barcelona, a €500m release clause was put in his contract. This sounds absurd, because it is absurd, but does not mean Barcelona will hold out for that much money. Release clauses are obligatory in Spain and after Paris Saint-Germain poached Neymar from Barça after triggering his €220m release clause, Barça have ensured that they avoid the risk of that happening again.

Francisco Trincao of SC Braga takes a shot on Belenenses goalkeeper Herve Koffi in January of this year. (Photo by Gualter Fatia/Getty Images)

Leicester are looking to strengthen their forward line, with Jamie Vardy the only consistent performer of the 2019/20 season. Harvey Barnes has shown a lot of promise but needs to be afforded time to develop, while Demarai Gray has not lived up to expectations.

Trincão’s favoured position is on the right of the front line, where Ayoze Perez played for most of the season pre-lockdown. But should Trincão arrive at the King Power, it would allow Perez to move back into his preferred central role, giving close support to Vardy.