Barcelona Prepared to Meet Pjanic Buyout Clause

Now that the calendar has officially flipped over to June, Roma has precious little time to conjure up €30 million to forestall the Financial Fair Play sword of Damocles from falling on the nape of their necks at the end of the month. While the club has tasted the bottom of UEFA's boot before, paying a €6 million fine for violating the break-even clause, if they don't balance their books this time, they may be excommunicated from European play. So with 27 days left before deadline day, short of some magnificent bake sale, Roma may be left with no other option than to sell prized midfielder Miralem Pjanic.

Take your pick--Chelsea, PSG, Manchester City, Manchester United, Real Madrid, the Los Angeles Lakers, the Yankees--any team with money has been connected to Pjanic, regardless of the sport apparently. All kidding aside, the latest team connected to Pjanic not only has the cash to make his €38 million release clause seem down right cute, but they may have a path towards Pjanic's heart.

Reports all over Europe today indicate that Barcelona are looking in between their couch cushions for the €38 million necessary to pry Pjanic from Roma's hands. The inside edge, of course, is that Barca's manager, former Roma fill in Luis Enrique, is quite fond and familiar with Pjanic's playing style. So while the likes of Chelsea, City, Bayern and Madrid can tempt him with cash, only Barcelona can offer Pjanic that sense of familiarity; of knowing your coach and your prospective role, so Pjanic's adjustment would be minimal. Not to mention that whole Messi, Neymar Suarez thing--Pjanic could have two dozen assists by Christmas.

Remove finances from the equation and you can make a case for pretty much any team being a good fit for Pjanic--he's just that good--but his history with Enrique and the lure of playing with the best player in the world may prove too much to resist for Pjanic.

27 days and counting...tick, tock, tick, tock.