Barcelona have spent the last few months trying to offload a number of players to lighten their wage bill. Bosnian midfielder Miralem Pjanic could be the next to be shown the exit door from Camp Nou this summer.
According to reports, Barcelona are holding talks with Serie A outfit Fiorentina over the transfer of Miralem Pjanic. The Serie A club is said to be planning a loan swoop for the player but is yet to conclude discussions for the same.
The report states that the midfielder's salary is the major obstacle in the negotiations. Pjanic reportedly earns €6.5 million per year at Barcelona, a figure the Italian giants are unwilling to match.
Fiorentina's proposal is to pay half the player's salary while Barcelona take responsibility of the other half. But the Blaugrana have proposed that the Serie A side pay €4.5 million of the midfielder's salary and leave the remaining €2 million to them. Talks are still ongoing in this regard, so it remains to be seen if the two clubs will reach an agreement in the coming days.
Meanwhile, as per the report, Miralem Pjanic's preference is to return to Juventus, even though he's not opposed to the idea of joining another Italian outfit. The Bianconeri are interested in his services as well, but have been unable to find space in their wage bill to accommodate him.
The Bosnian joined Barcelona in the summer of 2020 as part of a swap deal that saw Arthur Melo move to Juventus. However, Pjanic hasn't had the opportunity to impress at Barcelona, starting just six matches in La Liga last season.
Ronald Koeman clearly doesn't have the midfielder in his plans at Camp Nou, and Pjanic is reportedly at the top of the list of players the Blaugrana are looking to offload before the transfer window shuts this summer.
Juventus, Fiorentina and a host of other clubs from the Premier League and Serie A are said to be interested in the player's services, but his gargantuan wages remain a big obstacle.
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