Barcelona exercise Deulofeu buy-back clause

Barcelona have activated their buy-back clause to re-sign winger Gerard Deulofeu from Everton, in a move reportedly worth €12million.

The 23-year-old impressed in the second half of last season on loan at AC Milan, having initially left Barca for Everton in 2015.

Deulofeu has been linked with a return to Serie A, but is now back on Barca’s books after Ernesto Valverde’s club exercised their right to bring the winger back to Camp Nou.

“Barcelona have activated the buy-back clause for Gerard Deulofeu,” read the club’s statement on Friday.

“In the following days, the terms will be agreed with both Everton and the player. Deulofeu’s contract will run until 30 June 2019.”

[BREAKING NEWS] Barça exercise their buy-back clause for Gerard Deulofeu. More information https://t.co/6TJdJfUWKF #FCBlive pic.twitter.com/GYLqlrr78G

— FC Barcelona (@FCBarcelona) June 30, 2017

Juventus, Milan and Roma had been linked with moves for Deulofeu, but any interested clubs will now have to strike a deal with Barca to secure him.

Deulofeu played 17 times for Milan in Serie A after joining them on loan in January, scoring four times, and his strong performances earned a re-call to the senior Spain squad.

He is captaining his country’s Under-21 side at the European Championship in Poland, with Spain in the final against Germany later on Friday.

Prior to his permanent move to Everton, reportedly worth £4.2m, he had spent a year on loan with at Goodison Park in 2013-14 and spent the following season at Sevilla.

A Barcelona youth product, he has only made six first-team appearances for the club, two of them coming in LaLiga.