Andy Bara, agent to a number of footballers together with Dani Olmo, was in Barcelona this week to barter a possible switch involving Cardoso Varela – a 16-year-old Portuguese winger who was developed at FC Porto and presently performs for Dinamo Zagreb.
Though no deal has but been finalised, Barcelona, Dinamo, and Bara are working in the direction of an settlement that might see Varela be part of the Catalan membership, with an preliminary plan for him to stay on mortgage on the Croatian membership subsequent season.
In response to this, Porto – by way of president Andre Villas-Boas – expressed frustration, sending an official letter to Barcelona claiming possession of the participant and escalating the matter to FIFA.
Porto argued that the participant left the membership at a really younger age and consider they nonetheless retain his rights. The Portuguese outfit went so far as calling Varela’s brokers’ actions ‘kidnapping’ and threatened to interrupt ties with Barcelona in the event that they proceed to signal {the teenager}.
Andy Bara hits out at Porto
Chatting with Sportske Novosti (h/t Mundo Deportivo), Bara hit out at Villas-Boas and Porto over their current actions.
“He was an important coach, however he’s the worst president within the historical past of Porto. Everybody on the membership is aware of that, together with the followers. He offers with issues {that a} membership president mustn’t deal with,” mentioned Bara.
“Porto accuses Dinamo of issues that he himself does 5 occasions a 12 months. Dinamo did the whole lot legally and truthfully. And Villas-Boas personally known as not less than seven or eight European golf equipment to not signal Varela, who was a free participant on the time,” he added.
Not stopping there, Varela’s agent added: “With what he’s doing, he doesn’t even recognise the authority of FIFA and the Portuguese courts that dominated in favour of Varela and his mother and father, and in the end in favour of Dinamo in February.”
“Villas-Boas is performing like that man whose spouse has already left him, she’s already with another person, however he nonetheless insists she’s nonetheless his.”
Bara clarified the state of affairs: “To definitively shut this story – as a result of I see that within the media the whole lot is being mentioned – Varela is a Dinamo participant and he’s going to do pre-season with the staff. He has received all of the trials within the nationwide courtroom in Porto.
“The Portuguese prosecutor’s workplace additionally dismissed the felony criticism filed by Porto and closed the case in October 2024.
“In February 2025, FIFA additionally dominated in favour of the participant and registered him as a Dinamo participant. That’s why I don’t perceive some articles which can be showing within the media.”
On Varela’s future
Bara additionally emphasised that Barcelona are usually not concerned within the authorized facet of this matter. And when requested about talks of an settlement being in place for the Catalans to signal Varela from Dinamo, the agent mentioned:
“Barcelona has nothing to do with this. Varela is a Dinamo participant, and proper now ten golf equipment need him. If he finally ends up at Barça, I actually don’t know. Nothing has been signed or agreed with them.”
Persevering with his outburst at Villas-Boas over the letter despatched to Barceloa, he added: “Then Villas-Boas sends a letter to Barça based mostly on what he has learn within the media. However what sort of membership president does that?
“Let him fear about his staff, who didn’t win the championship and haven’t achieved something that was anticipated of Porto. To cover his incompetence, he picks on a 16-year-old.”
Clarifying the rumours of a deal price €5 million fastened plus €20 million in performance-based add-ons being finalised with Barcelona, Bara additional remarked:
“Dinamo, within the close to future, if a proposal is available in, will definitely not let Varela go for lower than €5 million fastened, plus vital bonuses.
“If he have been to go away quickly for Chelsea, Actual Madrid, Barcelona or, for instance, Tottenham, Dinamo might earn one other 20 million in bonuses. So the overall might attain €25 million. However this isn’t the time to speak about that.
“What is evident is that Varela joins Mario Kovacevic’s staff for pre-season. What occurs after that, no one is aware of. But when he goes to a type of golf equipment, the bonuses and percentages of future transfers can be large.”