Sassuolo pressing hard to sign Rey Manaj

Rey Manaj has been an unexpected protagonist of Barca's pre-season preparations. In just two games with the first team, he has proven that he has a natural goalscorer's instinct: something which is highly coveted in the transfer market. Koeman put his faith in the player for the friendlies against Nàstic de Tarragona and Girona and the Albanian forward hasn't let him down, scoring four times. His excellent performances have aroused the interest of many European clubs, but it appears that Sassuolo, who holds a longstanding interest in the player, is best placed to acquire the services of the player.

The Albanian forward joined Barcelona from Albacete in January 2020 for a fee of 700,000 euros. He has a contract until 30 June 2023 and a release clause of 50 million euros. Of course, in light of the financial issues that many clubs are faced with, the club would be willing to accept a transfer fee that is more in line with the current market. Despite only being 24, the striker has a wealth of experience as a professional footballer, and even had a spell in the Italian leagues. After passing through the Sampdoria academy, he also played for Cremonese, Inter, Pescara and Pisa. It is understood that the player would be interested in a move to Sassuolo if he received an attractive offer.

Barça has also held discussions with the Portuguese club Famalicao, who is very interested in signing the Albanian forward. Manaj, who is Barça's top scorer in pre-season with 4 goals in 2 games, will not drop back down to Barça B. Until his future is clarified, he will continue to train with Barça's first team squad.