Everton Loanee And Manchester United Target Can Return To Barcelona Despite Transfer Ban

Fifa have told Barcelona that Everton loanee Gerard Deulofeu and Manchester United target Rafinha, currently at Celta de Vigo, will be able to return to the Nou Camp at the end of the season - even though the Catalan club have been banned from signing players in the the next two transfer windows.

Barcelona were sanctioned on Wednesday by a Fifa committee for the irregular transfers of under-18 foreign players and will now serve a 14 month transfer embargo.

However, according to Barcelona president Josep Maria Bartomeu the sanction imposed by Fifa does not affect the return of loan players.

Last summer Barcelona sent Deulofeu to Everton, Rafinha to Celta and striker Bojan to Ajax. 

And when questioned about the future of all the club's loanees, Bartomeu said: "When they finished the season they will back home."

"The players of our property currently on loan at other clubs can relax," he was quoted by AS.

If Barcelona fail to beat Fifa in court in their attempts to avoid the 14-month transfer ban it is expected that the Catalan club will bolster their squad with the return of their players out on loan, blowing Everton's chances of keeping Deulofeu for another season and United's hopes of signing Rafina.

Last February, Spanish newspaper Mundo Deportivo reported that David Moyes had earmarked Rafinha as one of his main summer targets.

And having failed to sign his brother Thiago last summer, who decided instead to move to Bayern Munich, Mundo Deportivo suggest that the United boss will look to meet Rafinha's £25m buy-out clause this summer.

Meanwhile, Roberto Martinez is keen on keeping Deulofeu for a further season at Goodison Park but Barcelona's transfer ban could force the Everton boss to rethink their plans.

In a recent interview with IBTimes UK Deulofeu already expressed his desire to return to the Nou Camp at the end of the season.

"I would really like to be at Barça because it is the best team in the world. I would like to be in the first team, but also I know it is very complicated as there are very good players. We have to wait."

Culled from IBTimes