Barcelona want to sign £33.8m midfielder, but money troubles hold up deal

Barcelona are facing a losing battle in the race for midfielder Renato Sanches as they struggle to lower the club's wage bill and bring in further revenue. The club are currently looking to offload a number of first-team stars, but are also keen to bolster their squad ahead of next season.

Ronald Koeman is keen to add a midfielder to his squad and Sanches has caught the fancy of the Dutch manager. The Portugal international impressed at the European Championship this summer, and has caught the attention of a number of clubs across Europe.

According to Mundo Deportivo, however, Barcelona are facing a losing battle in the race for Sanches owing to their poor financial health. They will be unable to bring in any further additions unless they drastically cut down their current wage bill, which is proving a difficult task with most clubs across Europe struggling for finances.

The Catalan club are in danger of losing the Lille midfielder to Liverpool, who are said to be ready to make an offer to take the former Bayern Munich player to Anfield. The Reds are looking for a replacement for Georginio Wijnaldum, who joined Paris Saint-Germain and believe Sanches can fill the boots of the Dutchman.

Koeman is also desperate to sign a midfielder after first losing out on Wijnaldum, who had held talks with Barcelona before choosing PSG at the last minute. The La Liga giants had earmarked La Masia graduate Ilaix Moriba to provide cover, but the club are in danger of losing him too after he failed to agree to a new deal.

Moriba's contract expires in 2022, and the club will look to offload him if he fails to agree on an extension in the coming weeks. The double failure has seen Barcelona look at other players to fill the midfield void and Sanches remains a top target for Koeman.

Lille are ready to sell the midfielder this summer but want interested clubs to meet their €40 million (£33.8m) valuation. Liverpool are ready to open talks with the Ligue 1 club, but are expected to make an offer only if they can convince Lille to lower their asking price.