Barça already has its first reinforcement for the next season. Once the Kevin Punter renewal has been confirmed, the second movement of the Barca club has been the signing of Tornike Shengelia, which will sign a three -year contract, the optional third with cutting clause by the two parties. Barça’s interest in the Georgian player was advanced by Sporting Alessandro Luigi Maggi last Sunday and Mundo Deportivo has now been able to confirm that the operation is completed.
Shengelia, 33 years old and 2.06, is one of the best wings of the continental panorama and this season has averaged 15.6 points, 5 rebounds and 2.7 assists in the Euroleague with the Virtus Bologna, a team in which he has played the last three campaigns and with which he ends contract in June. He had previously lived a successful stage in Baskonia (2014 to 2020) and a posterior at CSKA Moscow (2020-22). Barça has been following him closely and last summer was very close to incorporating him, although in the end the Georgian failed to leave Bologna at zero cost and the Barca club had no economic capacity to pay a transfer. A year later Shengelia arrives free to Palau, where he will sign a contract around three million euros gross per year.
The added value of Shengelia is that it will occupy a formative quota square, which will allow Barça greater flexibility of movements, especially if the departure of Willy Hernangómez ends. The Georgian maintains that condition after his years of training in Valencia Basket. On the other hand, Barça must not pay the right to Baskonia because the player had to pay a termination to leave the CSKA in 2020.
Shengelia will occupy the Plaza de Chimezie Metu, which Barça wanted to renew but with which he changed plans after the serious injury he suffered at the end of March, a breakage of the Achilles tendon of the right leg that will have inactive for at least nine months. Initially, the Barca club valued to offer a downward renewal for several years but finally did not know that the Nigerian power wing had a verbal agreement to make the leap to Real Madrid.
The signing of Shengelia, which even spent medical examination a month ago in Barcelona, should be the most important that the Barca club does this summer, whose idea is to keep the bulk of the workforce and coach Joan Peñarroya. The great unknown is what will happen to Willy Hernangómez, a player with whom Barça does not count but does not have the slightest intention of leaving the team.
