Denis Suárez set to be Barça's first signing for 2016-2017

Villarreal’s Denis Suárez is set to be FC Barcelona’s first signing for the 2016/17 season. Robert Fernández, sporting director at the Catalan club confirmed the news during an interview with Spanish TV show “Estudio Estadio” filmed at the Sant Cugat recording studio.

Without official confirmation from the club, Fernandez’s words serve as a solid guideline to the Catalan club’s intention to secure the services of Suarez: "He’s a player that we rate highly and for reasons beyond our control we couldn’t sign him last winter. It was a logical stance for Villarreal to take at the time but we’re optimistic that he’ll join us next summer. He’s certainly a player that Barcelona would look at incorporating in their squad".

It would appear that Barca’s interest in Nolito has waned somewhat with intense negotiation between Barcelona and Celta Vigo floundering in the winter transfer window. Robert Fernandez revealed that his incorporation was no longer a priority for the club: "The situation during the winter market didn’t work out favorably for us in the end".

Full screen

"We felt at one point that the signing was going to materialize and in the end things took a turn and the move wasn’t viable. Celta’s position finally was a factor in the move not going through. A loan deal with a later option to buy? Sure, but in the end Celta resisted and it didn’t happen. Now conditions in the market have changed and we find ourselves in apposition perusing a different player".