RONALD KOEMAN wanted Romelu Lukaku to be Barcelona’s new No9 but the club reportedly blocked the move.
Mundo Deportivo reports the Catalan giants’ new boss fancied reuniting with the 27-year-old after a spell at Everton together.
But the Barca hierarchy pulled the plug on a move for the Inter Milan striker due to a lack of funds.
The club’s 2019-20 accounts revealed a staggering £90million loss after the coronavirus pandemic wreaked havoc.
Koeman is thought to have axed former Liverpool star Luis Suarez, 33, in a brutal one-minute phone call leaving the club in search of replacements.
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And former Manchester United star Lukaku was on Koeman’s radar after the 2016-17 season they spent together at Goodison Park.
The Belgian forward bagged 27 goals and seven assists in all competitions under the guidance of Koeman.
But Lukaku has a deal until 2024 at the San Siro and it would take a large fee to prize him away from Serie A – dashing Koeman’s hopes of bringing him to the Nou Camp.
The LaLiga side confirmed the arrival of Miralem Pjanic from Juventus with Arthur going the other way.
The club made a net £20m from the deal with The Old Lady paying £66m for Arthur and Barca laying out £45.8m for Pjanic.
Koeman has been linked with a move for another former Red Devil in Memphis Depay.
The ex-Holland manager knows the Lyon star well from his time with the national team.
But he confirmed no deal has been done and does not expect any new players to arrive at the cash-strapped club.
Koeman told Fox Sports Netherlands: “We’re working towards the new season and I think we will go into it with the same group of players that we have now for pre-season.”
Reports suggested Edinson Cavani had offered his services to the club on a free but the former Paris Saint-Germain man was turned down.
However, in a huge boost to the club skipper Lionel Messi confirmed he will stay this season after he previously asked to leave sparking a sensational transfer saga.
