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Barcelona want Neymar AND Lautaro Martinez in stunning £250m double transfer to link up with Lionel Messi next season
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BARCELONA want to sign Lautaro Martinez AND Neymar in the summer as they seek to strengthen for next season, according to reports.
The global coronavirus pandemic has caused much financial uncertainty in football.
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But according to , Barca are bullish over their summer spending power - insisting that they will still be able to operate as planned.
Lionel Messi confirmed earlier this week that first-team stars at the Camp Nou will take a temporary 70 per cent pay cut during the crisis - as well as helping to pay the full salaries of non-playing staff at the club.
This measure has significantly helped to ease the strain on Barcelona's finances - and they believe this could help them stay ahead of their rivals in the transfer market.
While Lautaro Martinez is more of a priority tactically, Neymar remains a key target for the club strategically.
The Brazilian is believed to be willing to accept his old salary of around £22million-a-year in Catalonia - a decrease on the £31.7million he pockets in Paris.
And with two years left on his bumper PSG contract, Barcelona could seal his return for around £150million.
He has performed well for the Ligue 1 champions when fit - scoring 69 goals and assisting a further 39 in 80 appearances for the club he controversially joined in 2017.
But injuries have blighted his stay at the Parc des Princes - and he has ultimately failed to deliver them the Champions League glory that their Qatari owners so crave.
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Martinez is also highly sought-after, with Chelsea having been linked with the Inter Milan striker.
The 22-year-old is believed to have a clause in his contract that could see him depart for £100million - if triggered between July 1 and July 15 this summer.
While the Blues' interest is solid, the allure of linking up with compatriot Messi in LaLiga would be too strong for Martinez to turn down.
The Argentine has scored 16 goals for Inter this season, as Antonio Conte's side have fought to challenge Juventus at the top of Serie A.
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In the Spanish top flight, only three non-EU players can be registered to play.
Quique Setien's side currently have Brazilian Arthur Melo and Chilean Arturo Vidal occupying two of the three slots - with Vidal the more likely to make way to accommodate a new arrival.
Also on their way out after brief stays could be forwards Antoine Griezmann and Martin Braithwaite.
The Frenchman had been targeted for a long time when he finally made his move from Atletico Madrid last year.
But he has only managed eight league goals since, struggling to justify his £105million price-tag.
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The signing of Braithwaite, on the other hand, was always going to be a temporary measure.
The Dane arrived from Leganes in February after Barcelona were given special permission by LaLiga following the long-term injuries to Luis Suarez and Ousmane Dembele.
But the former Middlesbrough forward isn't expected to feature in the club's plans moving forward.
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