Journalist Gabriel Sans, while writing for Spanish publication Mundo Deportivo, has confirmed that Villarreal right-back Juan Foyth is still being considered by Barcelona.
Sans quotes that although Foyth, 24, is on Barcelona’s list, the team from Catalonia still hasn’t made official contact with his player’s representatives mostly because the management is more focused on sorting out the financial fair play issue.
It must be remembered that it’s not the first time Barcelona have put Foyth in the list. Back during the summer transfer window, the team had established contacts with the player’s agents after a possible deal for Chelsea’s Cesar Azpilicueta collapsed.
However, following Foyth’s injury, Barcelona ended up signing Hector Bellerin instead, but it is more than evident that the right-back spot is still unfulfilled.
So in order to address the issue, the management has prepared a list which includes Borussia Dortmund’s Thomas Meunier and Manchester United’s Diogo Dalot as well
Between the three, Foyth remains Xavi’s personal preference mostly because of his experience of playing in the Spanish La Liga.
At the same time, however, the operation won’t be as easy as it sounds.
First, the player has a contract with Villarreal until 2026 and second, any bidding process is expected to start from €40 million onwards. This is something Barcelona cannot really afford mostly because they know they cannot comply with the financial fair play rules.
Meanwhile, another name to be linked with Barcelona is Bayern Munich’s Benjamin Pavard, although Sans writes that the French international is more of a ‘desire’ than a realistic target right now.
For now, sporting directors Mateu Alemany and Jordi Cruyff are studying the options between Foyth, Meunier and Dalot as it is understood that Bellerin’s future is still uncertain despite the right-back’s claims that his priority is to stay at Barcelona.
Regardless of Bellerin’s future, however, it is more than certain that Barcelona will, in fact, sign a right-back in future.