Marc Bartra moving to Borussia Dortmund from Barcelona
Marc Bartra is going to Borussia Dortmund for 8 million euro, his buy-out clause reduced from €40M due the low number of games he played for Barça.
According to Sport and Mundo Deportivo, Marc Bartra has signed for German side Borussia Dortmund on Friday for 8 million euro. The central defender who had communicated his desire to leave the club this summer through his new agent and ex-Barça legend Carles Puyol, will be the replacement for Mats Hummels who is on his way to Ancelotti's Bayern Munich.
The lure of first-team football at Thomas Tuchel's Borussia was too much to resist for Bartra who has drifted further from the first team at the blaugrana club this season, so much so that a stipulation in his contract saw his release clause reduced from €40M due to the low number of games he played.
Bartra is preparing for Euro 2016 with the rest of the Spain squad, Del Bosque considering Bartra a key member of La Roja's defence for the future.
Robert, Barcelona's techical secretary tried to negociate with Puyol to insert a buy-back clause for Barcelona into the player's contract, but the lack of game-time this season also means that Barça lose that option.
The pressure is now on Robert with the departure of the charismatic Dani Alves and now Bartra, with the only incoming Denis Suarez returning on loan from Villarreal, but the squad now lacks defensive cover. Bartra's departure is important as he is a La Masia product and was seen as the future of the Barcelona central defence, a natural replacement for Gerard Pique, and the perceived lack of an attempt to involve him more in the first team this season has caused some disquiet in the club.