Barcelona president Joan Laporta has held talks with agent Jorge Mendes to discuss several important matters, and a potential move for Real Madrid star Andriy Lunin was brought up, a report has claimed.
There are few players who directly swap between Real Madrid and Barcelona due to the fierce rivalry between the two clubs. Luis Figo is the most famous example, having joined Real Madrid from Barca in July 2000.
Figo cost Madrid €62million, with the deal breaking the world transfer record. When the Portuguese star returned to the Camp Nou with Madrid in October 2000, Barca fans relentlessly booed and jeered him, while also hanging up banners with words such as ‘traitor’ and ‘scum’.
Javier Saviola was the last player to move between the two clubs, though Madrid signed him on a free transfer once his Barca contract expired in summer 2007, rather than paying big money for him.
According to Madrid source Defensa Central, Laporta has looked into the possibility of reigniting the transfer war between the two clubs.
During a meeting with Mendes to discuss Lamine Yamal’s potential new contract, Laporta asked about the situation of goalkeeper Lunin.
The Barca chief is aware that Lunin is open to securing a move this summer as he is fed up with deputising for Thibaut Courtois.
However, it is very unlikely that this move will be completed. Mendes supposedly told Laporta that Madrid ‘would never sell Lunin to Barca’, even if the Ukrainian is not one of the biggest stars at the Bernabeu.