Barcelona defensive prodigy’s move to European giants could still go through

Just a day before Barcelona kickstart their pre-season campaign under the leadership of new coach Hansi Flick, Mika Faye is still facing an uncertain future at the club.

Earlier in the month, Barcelona reportedly made the decision to keep hold of Faye’s services, especially after his move to FC Porto fell through.

But recent reports suggest Faye could still leave Barcelona, as the player is unsure about his prospects in the senior team next season.

FC Porto deal still on the table

A recent report from The Athletic has offered an update on the future of Mika Faye, suggesting that the defender’s move to FC Porto has indeed stalled.

The report confirms that Faye’s move to Porto broke through due to financial reasons, which was revealed earlier by the Spanish media.

However, as per the report, Barcelona’s idea is for the FC Porto deal to go ahead, which suggests that the club may try to reach an agreement with the Portuguese outfit, provided they meet their demands.

It was reported earlier that Barcelona demanded a fee of around €15 million. The Catalans also wanted to include a buyback clause in the deal.

Will Pepe’s exit play a role?

Porto, though, were not in a position to agree to those terms. However, with Faye still not entirely convinced about his prospects at Barça, it won’t be surprising to see the Portuguese giants come up with an improved offer for the defender.

Porto’s desire to sign Faye could be reinforced by the exit of Pepe. The veteran centre-back has left the club this summer, five years after rejoining the club.

Pepe, despite his age, was a vital figure in Porto’s defence and his exit could force the club to find a new centre-back this summer.

Faye, to that end, could prove to be an ideal long-term replacement for the former Real Madrid star. However, whether or not Porto can revive the deal to sign the Senegalese international remains to be seen.