Barcelona have already had a very busy start to the summer. Having secured a deal for young Senegalese defender Mikayil Faye, they have also secured ore-contract agreements with Inigo Martinez and Ilkay Gundogan.
Despite this, Mateu Alemany and Deco will not be resting on their laurels, with other areas of Xavi Hernandez’s squad needing to be addressed before the start of next season. Specifically, a new pivot will be a priority, while signing a new right back will also be high on the agenda.
Barcelona have had issues at right back for several years, having signed a number of players that have failed to make the grade. As a result, Jules Kounde was forced to operate there for the vast majority of the 2022-23 season, despite his preference being to play in central defence.
Barcelona have been linked with a number of options, one of which has been Thomas Meunier. However, MD have reported that they will miss on signing him, having waited too long to pursue a deal with Borussia Dortmund, whose asking price is just €2-4m.
Meunier could have been an excellent signing for Barcelona, especially at that price. However, they will have to pursue other targets, although they do have a few to choose from.
Juan Foyth
Of all the right back targets that Barcelona have been linked with, Foyth is the one that is least likely to happen. Villarreal are not prepared to negotiate with any clubs for the Argentine, meaning that he can only leave when his €60m release clause in activated.
Although Foyth would be a fantastic addition, Barcelona cannot afford to pay this in their current financial state. As much, he is not a realistic option.
Joao Cancelo
Barcelona’s pursuit of Cancelo appears to have legs. Although a permanent transfer is practically ruled out due to financial reasons, a loan, similar to the one that the Portuguese had at Bayern Munich during the second half of the 2022-23 season, could be a possibility.
Cancelo would be an excellent addition for Barcelona, as he was considered to be one of the best fullbacks in world football not too long ago, before falling out of favour under Pep Guardiola. If Manchester City allow him to head to Catalonia, it could revitalise his ailing career.
Ivan Fresneda
Barcelona have stepped up their pursuit of Fresneda this week, having met with the teenager’s representatives on Wednesday. He will be available for €20m this summer, as this is his relegation release clause at Real Valladolid.
Fresneda would be a fantastic signing for Barcelona. In the short term, he would rotate with Jules Kounde and/or Julian Araujo at right back, before looking to make the position his own going forward.
Fresneda showed during his breakthrough season at La Pucela that he has great potential, and a club like Barcelona would allow him to take the next step in his development. However, with other clubs interested in signing him, it could be tough to beat off the competition, given their financial struggles.
