Bundesliga giants’ interest in Portuguese winger could help Barcelona profit

According to Mundo Deportivo, Bayer Leverkusen manager Xabi Alonso is keeping a close eye on the progress of Francisco Trincao, a former Barcelona player who can benefit the Blaugrana despite not being in their ranks.

The 24-year-old is currently plying his trade with Portuguese side Sporting CP and has been in good form lately, even earning a call-up to the Portugal national team in March. 

So far this season, Trincao has netted seven goals, followed by eight assists across all competitions. His performance in 2024 has been particularly noteworthy, raising the possibility of him competing in the Euro Cup.

Meanwhile, it is worth mentioning that Barcelona still have the option to buy back Trincao while also retaining half of his rights from the deal with Sporting.

How can Barcelona benefit?

Since Barcelona are grappling with persistent financial woes that show no signs of diminishing, they will have to offload several key players this summer to straighten out their finances before the next season kicks off. 

Francisco Trincao is wanted by Bayer Leverkusen. (Photo by PATRICIA DE MELO MOREIRA/AFP via Getty Images)

Yet, another potential source of income for the Catalan club might come from activating sell-on clauses tied to players they’ve previously sold and this is where Trincao comes into play.

Trincao first joined Sporting ahead of the 2022/23 season on a season-long loan. As part of the transfer, Barcelona added a conditional €7 million obligation.

In their agreement, Barcelona made sure to include a couple of key clauses. Firstly, they secured a buy-back option, allowing them the opportunity to bring Trincao back to their fold in the future. 

Additionally, they negotiated a 50% sell-on clause, ensuring that if any team decides to purchase Trincao from Sporting, Barcelona would receive half of the transfer fee.

This arrangement implies that Barcelona could potentially benefit financially from any future transaction involving the Portuguese winger.

At this moment, while everything is in the air, Barcelona can expect some income if Alonso decides to bring Trincao to Leverkusen.