Barcelona agree to sell Bojan to Roma
Reuters - Friday 22 July 2011, 13:48
MADRID - Barcelona have agreed to sell
Bojan Krkic to Serie A side AS Roma for 12 million euros in an unusual deal that includes a commitment to buy
the Spain Under-21 forward back in two years.
The Spanish and European champions will repurchase Bojan at
the end of the 2012/13 season for 13 million euros unless Roma
decide they want to keep him, the La Liga club said on their
website on Friday.
In that case, the Italian club will have to pay another 28
million, Barca said.
"The buyback clause can be blocked by AS Roma but in that
case the total cost of the transfer would be 40 million euros,"
they added.
The structure of the deal reflects Barca's desire to keep
their options open when it comes to holding on to promising
players who have come through the club's famed youth academy but
are not getting much playing time with the first team.
The 20-year-old Bojan, who said at an emotional farewell
news conference he was unhappy with the way coach Pep Guardiola
had treated him, joined the Catalan club's boys team in the
1999/2000 season.
He made his first-team debut against Osasuna in September
2007 and the following month became the Barca's youngest scorer
in La Liga with a goal against Villarreal at the age of 17 years
53 days.
The baby-faced striker has won a host of trophies over the
past three seasons but is not one of Guardiola's first-choice
forwards and has spent most of the time on the bench behind
Lionel Messi, David Villa and Pedro in the pecking order.
He will join up with former Barca and Spain midfielder Luis
Enrique, who has moved to the Italian capital to take charge of
Roma after a successful season coaching Barca's B team.
POSITIVES REMEMBERED
At a news conference attended by team captains Carles Puyol
and Xavi and sporting director Andoni Zubizarreta, Bojan said he
was hoping to rediscover the joy of playing.
"As a fan and club member I believe Pep is the best coach
Barca could have," he said.
"But as a player there are things I do not agree with and
which I felt very bad about."
He added that not playing in Barca's Champions League final
victory over Manchester United in London in May had been
painful, particularly as he was also left out for the 2009 final
in Rome.
"There was not much confidence shown in me. I wasn't given
the continuity needed to show what I can do," he said.
"But I am also aware that I am privileged to have been part
of the first team, of a magnificent team that has made Barca
into the world's best.
"For that reason I am not leaving with feelings of hurt. I
will remember the positives."
Bojan scored 41 goals in 163 appearances for Barca, 26 in
the league, nine in the King's Cup, five in the Champions League
and one in the Spanish Super Cup.