Barcelona midfield target declared ‘non-transferable’ by current club – report

Marc Bernal has created ripples in Barcelona with his maturity and quality at a young age playing as a defensive midfielder.

While the youngster is largely seen as a competent successor to Sergio Busquets, Hansi Flick values experience in the position to aid with the transition this season.

N’Golo Kante, on that front, emerged as an option for the Catalans, especially after his stunning campaign with France in the recently concluded European Championships.

While the player is open to returning to Europe, his current employers, Al-Ittihad, have not been very supportive.

Not for sale

As revealed in a recent update in AS, Kante’s form at the Euros attracted interest from several of Europe’s elite as the midfielder has seemingly put his injury history behind him.

Apart from Barcelona, West Ham and Atletico Madrid have enquired about his availability this summer. All three clubs, however, have received a negative response from the Al-Ittihad offices.

The Saudi Arabian club are clear that Kante is ‘non-transferable’ this summer and is a non-negotiable member of the squad who cannot be touched.

Al-Ittihad are looking to compete directly with the likes of Al-Nassr and Al-Hilal in the coming season and see Kante and Karim Benzema to be the heart and soul of their project.

Moreover, the pivot’s current salary in Saudi Arabia is reportedly close to €50 million, a number none of the interested parties, including Barcelona, can afford.

With Kante all but off the table, Flick must look for alternatives or manage with the resources already available at his disposal. A final decision will be taken after the weekend’s clash against Valencia.