Barcelona end pursuit of Bournemouth forward due to ‘unrealistic’ €100m fee

Barcelona have decided against a move for Bournemouth striker Enes Unal after concluding that the Premier League club’s €100m valuation makes any deal impossible, according to reports in Spain.

The Catalan club, who are still trying without success to sign Julian Alvarez from Atletico Madrid, have been assessing a number of attacking options as potential successors to Robert Lewandowski.

Unal, the 20-year-old French forward at Bournemouth, has re-emerged in recent days as a name under consideration to strengthen Barcelona’s front line from next season.

However, Catalan newspaper Mundo Deportivo reports that while Barcelona have monitored Unal closely throughout the past campaign – in the same way they have followed several other strikers – they no longer see him as a viable target.

€100m seen as excessive

Barcelona are said to regard Bournemouth’s asking price of around €100m as unjustifiable for a player at Unal’s current stage of development.

The report adds that this is the same figure Barcelona have already put on the table for Julian Alvarez in negotiations with Atletico Madrid. Within the club, there is a clear feeling that Unal has not yet reached the Argentine’s level, nor does he currently demonstrate the kind of potential once associated with Ronaldo Nazario.

Back in 1996, Barcelona broke their transfer record by paying 2.5 billion pesetas – around €15m at the time – to sign Ronaldo. His spectacular single season at Camp Nou was seen as full vindication of that outlay.

Club sources cited by Mundo Deportivo believe the comparison underlines why they are unwilling to commit a similarly decisive financial bet on Unal at this moment.

Impressive season but no senior caps

Unal caught the eye in the Premier League last season, scoring 13 goals for Bournemouth and establishing himself as one of the more notable young forwards in England’s top flight.

Despite that form at club level, the French striker has yet to make his debut for the France senior national team, a factor that is also understood to weigh in Barcelona’s assessment of his profile and experience.

For a club operating under financial constraints and seeking immediate impact in attack, Barcelona are said to be prioritising players who are already proven at the very highest level.

Mundo Deportivo summed up the stance within the club by reporting: “Barcelona’s motto is clear: if you pay 100 million, it is for a proven star.”

With Unal effectively ruled out at that price, and talks for Julian Alvarez still to yield a breakthrough, Barcelona’s search for a long-term replacement for Lewandowski is set to continue into the coming weeks.