Catalans to now look elsewhere for a new central defender.
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Spanish champions FC Barcelona have now given up on their attempts to sign either Chelsea defender David Luiz or Liverpool centre-back Daniel Agger this summer, according to reports in the Daily Mirror.
The Liga giants have made the capture of a new central defender their number one priority of the close-season transfer window, with recently appointed Barca head coach Gerardo Martino said to be concerned about the fitness of veteran club captain Carles Puyol at Camp Nou next season.
However, despite lodging a bid of £34.5 million with the west London club for their coveted Brazil international, that offer was rejected out of hand by the Blues, who have since told the Catalans that they value the 26-year-old at £50m, a figure intended to scare their competitors off.
And that appears to have had the desired effect, with Barcelona then turning their attentions towards Liverpool’s Denmark international instead, only to again be met with resistance from the Merseysiders.
The Liga side submitted a bid of £15m last week for the defender, however, that was once again dismissed by the Reds, who informed Barcelona that they value Agger at £25m, a sum that the Spaniards are refusing to pay.
And that means now that Barcelona will have to look elsewhere this summer for a new centre back.