Martinez explains Barcelona buy-back options on Deulofeu deal
Barcelona can re-sign winger Gerard Deulofeu from Everton under a €9million buy-back clause at the end of this season, Goodison Park boss Roberto Martinez has confirmed.
Everton brought Deulofeu back to Merseyside in a €6m deal during the close season, following a fruitful loan spell in 2013-14.
Deulofeu failed to break into Barca’s first team on the back of his initial taste of the Premier League and a loan stint with Sevilla in La Liga was also unsuccessful.
In selling Deulofeu, Barcelona insisted on a buy-back option spanning two years – a decision taken in view of their current transfer embargo.
The 21-year-old has been in impressive form of late for Everton and Spain Under-21s, following a hat-trick against Georgia with a brace versus Croatia during the recent international break.
Despite the clause in Deulofeu’s deal, Martinez insists that a number of factors written into it work in Everton’s favour.
The player cannot be bought back in January, nor could Barcelona swoop for Deulofeu simply to sell him on immediately for a profit.
“They can’t do that,” he explained at a news conference. “There are certain things in the deal. They can’t take him back in the winter so they can’t take him back in January. It can only be at the end of the season. It is €9m for the first year and €12m in the second year.
“If they take him back they can’t sell him for a season, so he has to stay in the first-team squad for a season. At the end of that if they decide to sell him we have got first rights of getting him back or we have got a big percentage of that deal.
“There is nothing we can do if they activate it. That was the deal and the only way we could access the player in the terms that we wanted. I’m delighted with the deal.”
Martinez added: “For us to have a player of that quality for the money we paid, if we lose him it will be on a profit financially so we would be able to use the money.
“And you want the player. You’re talking about a Barcelona player who has been all through his years as the golden boy believing he is going to be at the top level at Barcelona and we got him for a very good price.
“I’d like to tell Barcelona that he’s rubbish but they come to watch our games.”
