Rey Manaj joins Spezia on loan with option to buy
The Albanian footballer will leave Barcelona and will continue his career in Italy after a few years in Spanish football.
Rey Manaj is close to leaving Barcelona. The Albanian striker who was a revelation in pre-season because of his eye fo goal, will leave the Catalans after joining the B team and playing for the first team in the summer friendlies.
24 year-old Manaj will go to Spezia in Italy. He knows Italian football very well as he was in the Sampdoria and Inter Milan academies as well as the Inter first team, Cremonese, Pescara and Pisa.
He arrived in Spain in 2017 to play for Granada, but it was at Albacete where he showed his good quality in 2018-19.
Therefore, Barca got him to strengthen their B team, where he had a quiet first season and quite a good 2020-21 campaign with 14 goals from 22 matches.
His good work gave him the opportunity to play under Koeman this summer. His performances in pre-season have given him the opportunity to go to Serie A.
According to several sources in Italy, Spezia will pay half a million euros now and close to four at the end of the loan spell. Albacete, who had kept a percentage of a future sale, will also pocket half a million euros.
Italian journalist Fabrizio Romano says that the clubs and the player are all in agreement and his departure will be announced shortly.