La Liga giants Barcelona have reportedly reached an agreement with RB Leipzig to sign Spanish top midfielder Dani Olmo.
Olmo, 26, emerged as a priority midfield target for the La Liga giants following his impressive campaign with his club, RB Leipzig, and national team, Spain.
The former Dynamo Zagreb player, regarded as one of the most talented players in Spain’s current midfield options, took his career to another level with RB Leipzig last season. He recorded nine goal contributions, comprising 4 goals and 5 assists in 21 Bundesliga appearances.
Apart from his goal contributions, Olmo is known for composed finishing, shooting prowess, and great dribbling skills. He took his game to another level in the 2024 Euros, emerging as one of the best players in the tournament with three goals and four assists.
Barcelona sporting director Deco reportedly pioneered the move for Olmo as the club ramped up attempts to boost their midfield options ahead of the next campaign.
As Fabrizio Romano reported, Deco touched down in Germany to meet and talk to Olmo, who was reportedly open to a move to the club.
Amidst the Catalan’s interest, RB Leipzig, who turned Olmo from a La Masia pariah to an elite-level player, were open to Olmo’s exit but at the right offer.
They have finally agreed verbally to a deal worth €62m for Dani Olmo, comprising €55m as transfer fee and €7m as add-ons, as confirmed by Fabrizio Romano.
The report also adds Dani Olmo has agreed to a five-year contract with the club till 2029. With the verbal agreements reached, the two parties are expected to put pen to paper to tidy up the deal.
Notably, it is yet to be determined whether Barcelona and RB Leipzig have agreed on the payment plan for Olmo’s deal. Close sources reveal Barcelona wanted to pay €21.5m initial fee for Olmo before footing the remaining amount via installments – a condition that was previously rejected by Leipzig.
Dani Olmo career recap
Dani Olmo began his career in Spain, and Barcelona happened to be one of the clubs he had trials as a youth player. He joined the club’s renowned La Masia in 2007 from Espanyol, where he had spent a year grooming his career.
After seven years in La Masia, Olmo could not make Barcelona first team and had to leave for Croatia, where he gave himself a second chance to polish his career.
He joined Dynamo Zagreb reserve team and juggled his career between the reserve team and the club’s first team from 2014 to 2017 before finally settling for permanent first-team action.
He scored 20 league goals in 80 appearances for Zagreb, helping the club to five Croatian league titles, five Croatian Cups, and one Super Cup before moving to RB Leipzig.
At Leipzig, Olmo established himself as one of the most sought-after attacking midfielders. He scored 17 goals in 107 appearances for the club, winning the DfB-Pokal twice and the DFL-Super Cup.
International career
Olmo made his Spain senior national team debut in 2019. He has been capped 39 times, scoring 11 goals. He won the 2024 Euros with the team, emerged as a joint-topscorer, and also made the Team of the Tournament.
