On Tuesday, Barcelona president Joan Laporta confirmed that the club have plans to sign a new right-back in the summer transfer window.
“We must sign a right-back, while a CB will depend on the market possibilities. A striker surely yes, but it is likely that someone will have to leave. We have a great midfield and I don’t see the need to sign someone there,”
Now, Mundo Deportivo has come out with a report stating that Barcelona have several options on their agenda to reinforce the right-back position and they have already made enquiries for three of them.
Indeed, as per the report, Barcelona have asked about the availabilities of Benjamin Pavard of Bayern Munich, Diogo Dalot of Manchester United and Borussia Dortmund ace Thomas Meunier.
Pavard has been on the agenda at Camp Nou for a while now and it appeared like the Frenchman too was keen on a move to Catalonia.
However, of late, things have changed on that front as the 26-year-old, whose contract with Bayern expires next year, is open to continuing at the Allianz Arena by signing a new deal. If he does not, the Bavarians could sell, but at the moment, that looks unlikely.
Meanwhile, Dalot’s contract was supposed to expire this year, which had caught Barça’s attention. But Manchester United have triggered a one-year extension option in his deal and are in talks to tie down the Portuguese ace’s long-term future.
Recent reports have suggested that talks have slowed down amidst growing interest in his services and Barcelona are aware of the situation and could swoop in if Dalot does not renew.
As for Thomas Meunier, his contract also expires in 2024 and an exit could be on the cards in the summer. But the Belgian, who almost signed for the Blaugrana in January 2022, also has offers from Serie A, which could make things tricky.
There are more players on Barça’s wishlist, including Juan Foyth of Villarreal. And it remains to be seen who the club goes after as they look to address the right-back problem.
