Following a highly successful 2024/25 season — one in which Barcelona managed to capture a domestic treble, winning all major competitions within Spain — the club’s leadership is now fully focused on achieving success on the grander European stage. Their primary objective for the upcoming season is to conquer the UEFA Champions League, a trophy that has eluded them in recent years. In pursuit of this goal, strengthening the squad with strategic signings has become an urgent priority, and head coach Hansi Flick is already actively working to bring in reinforcements.
According to reports from Mundo Deportivo, Flick has expressed a strong desire to sign Ivan Perisic, a player he knows well from their previous collaboration at Bayern Munich. Despite some initial reluctance from both the club’s sporting director Deco and its president Joan Laporta, Flick is pushing aggressively for Perisic’s arrival. What makes the deal even more appealing is that Perisic himself is fully committed and eager to join Barcelona.
The 36-year-old Croatian winger is coming off an excellent season with PSV Eindhoven, where he was instrumental in helping the club win the Eredivisie title. Over the course of the season, Perisic played in 35 league matches, contributing significantly with 16 goals and 11 assists. Now that his contract has expired, he is available as a free agent, making him a low-cost signing with the potential for a significant positive impact both on and off the pitch.
Perisic remains highly motivated to compete at the top level of European football, particularly as he aims to secure his place in Croatia’s squad for the 2026 FIFA World Cup. In order to facilitate his move to Barcelona, he has even agreed to accept reduced wages, which makes the transfer more financially viable for a club that has been operating under tight economic restrictions in recent years.
Although both Deco and Laporta originally raised concerns about bringing in an older player, especially as the club is undergoing a process focused on rebuilding with younger talents, Hansi Flick believes that Perisic’s vast experience, strong professionalism, and ability to adapt to multiple tactical roles would be extremely valuable for the team’s balance and depth. Flick sees Perisic not only as a reliable performer for crucial matches, especially in the Champions League, but also as a mentor figure for emerging young stars such as Lamine Yamal and Fermín López.
Perisic is just one of four primary transfer targets currently being evaluated by Barcelona’s management team as part of their broader summer recruitment plan. The other potential signings include:
Juan Garcia, a highly-rated young goalkeeper from Espanyol;
Luis Díaz, the dynamic Liverpool winger, who may arrive if Gerard Martin leaves the club;
Alejandro Grimaldo, an attack-minded full-back currently playing for Bayer Leverkusen.
This targeted recruitment strategy reflects Barcelona’s intention to build a squad that blends youthful energy with seasoned experience, creating a more versatile and competitive team that can challenge not only domestically but also on the European stage.
If Perisic’s transfer is finalized, it would not only mark a personal reunion for Hansi Flick with one of his former players, but also serve as a clear message to the footballing world that Barcelona remains deeply committed to reclaiming its place at the summit of European football.
