With the January transfer window just a month and a half away, speculations regarding Barcelona’s plans for the period are starting to pick up with each passing day.
Heading into the winter, it is believed that signing a new right-back is an absolute priority for manager Xavi Hernandez, while a new midfielder is also likely to be brought in.
And, as per the cover page of SPORT on November 14, Barcelona have identified as many as five possible targets to reinforce the right-back position for the second half of the season and beyond.
The report suggests that the preferred options at Spotify Camp Nou are Juan Foyth of Villarreal and Bayern Munich’s Benjamin Pavard. Beyond them, the Catalans are also looking at Diogo Dalot (Manchester United), Wilfried Singo (Torino) and Jeremie Frimpong (Bayer Leverkusen).
Foyth is a player that Barcelona had their sights during the summer window as well. A move looked very much likely until the Argentine picked up an injury, forcing Barça to change their plans and sign Hector Bellerin instead.
But the Villarreal ace continues to feature in the Blaugrana’s plans for January, and is seen as a favourite, along with Bayern Munich’s Pavard. The Frenchman’s contract expires in 2024 and he is believed to have decided against a renewal.
In such a scenario, Bayern could decide to cash in before he enters the final year of his contract when they would have to settle for a lower figure for the 2018 FIFA World Cup winner.
Dalot has been heavily linked with Barcelona for some time now. And while his contract with Manchester United runs out in 2023, the Premier League giants are set to trigger a unilateral one-year extension to keep him at the club for longer and discuss a new deal.
As for Singo, he too is in a similar situation as Dalot. The Torino ace’s contract runs down next year but the club have the option to extend by it another twelve months, which they are likely to do to protect his value.
Frimpong could be an exciting option to look at given the season he is having at Leverkusen – five goals and three assists in 21 matches across all competitions. However, his contract runs until 2025 and the German giants could demand a hefty fee for his signing.
Considering how Bellerin has failed to perform at the expected level and the fact that Sergi Roberto is again struggling with fitness issues, a new right-back is a necessity for Barcelona in January. It will be interesting to see who the club decide to sign in the end.
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