While Barcelona fans eagerly wait for updates on the club’s efforts to re-sign Lionel Messi, there are several other positions that the club needs to reinforce before next season.
A new defensive midfielder has become a top priority now that Sergio Busquets has decided to leave while a forward to provide cover for Robert Lewandowski is also being sought.
Now, it is being claimed that Barcelona will also target the signing of a new right-back as a priority at the insistence of manager Xavi Hernandez.
And, Javi Miguel of AS is reporting that Villarreal ace Juan Foyth remains the preferred option of the Barcelona boss. However, the Argentine international’s €54 million release clause makes the transfer complicated.
Villarreal have shown no indication that they would be open to accepting a lower sum for the 2022 FIFA World Cup winner and, in the current situation, Barça are not in a position to shell out the €54 million that is being demanded.
As such, the report states that the newly-crowned La Liga champions could look to offer players as part of the operation to reduce the transfer fee.
And three Barcelona players, namely Nico Gonzalez, Ferran Torres, and Pablo Torre, could be presented as possible options for Villarreal.
Nico is currently on loan at Valencia, where injuries have thwarted his progress. Given the competition for places in midfield at Barça, the academy graduate is unlikely to find a spot in the team and the Catalans will likely sell him or use him as a makeweight in an operation, like they wish to do with the Foyth deal.
Meanwhile, Torres has had a subpar first full season at Spotify Camp Nou and is being linked with a summer exit even though he remains determined to stay. However, Barcelona are open to parting ways with him and could offer him to Villarreal.
The last name on the list, Torre, is a player that is rated highly. And as such, the report clarifies that if Barça were to offer him to the Yellow Submarine, it will likely be only on a loan deal.
But given the complications, the La Liga champions are keeping their options open and are also looking at Joao Cancelo as an alternative for Foyth.