It is no surprise that Barcelona is looking for right-back options to add to their team this summer. According to various sources, manager Xavi Hernandez has chosen Juan Foyth of Villarreal as his favourite candidate. Last summer, the 25-year-old was linked with a move to Barcelona. But the deal fell through due to an injury sustained during the transfer window. However, the Blaugrana have continued to monitor Foyth’s progress with the Yellow Submarine. Most importantly Xavi is still keen on signing him.
Barcelona might trade Nico to sign Foyth this summer
A deal, however, has been delayed by Villarreal’s demand that Foyth’s €54 million release clause be paid in full. Xavi, on the other hand, refuses to give up and has pleaded with Barça to make an effort to sign him. Therefore, according to Javi Miguel of AS, Barcelona is considering offering a player to Villarreal as part of the deal to sign Foyth at a less cost. According to the source, the La Liga leaders are willing to send academy graduate Nico Gonzalez, who is now on loan at Valencia, to Villarreal as a makeweight in their pursuit of Foyth.
Nico has had a rough season on loan at Valencia due to a series of ailments that have prevented him from playing regularly. His future at Barcelona is uncertain, given the amount of competition in the midfield department. As a result, the likelihood of his being sold or utilised in a player-exchange deal was always high. Now, Barcelona wants to offer Nico to Villarreal as part of their effort to sign Foyth. The Catalan giants think that including the midfield prospect in the deal will reduce the worth of the transaction by at least €20 million. Thus it will allow them to recruit Foyth for a cost closer to €30 million. Therefore this exchange deal would be feasible for the club.
Despite Villarreal’s staunch mindset, Barcelona believes that the Villarreal manager, Quique Setien, could approve such an operation in the summer. Other players on Barcelona’s radar are Joao Cancelo, Benjamin Pavard, and Diogo Dalot. However, all of them are probably difficult purchases, and Xavi continues to stand up for Foyth. Only time will tell if Nico’s exchange deal aids Barcelona’s pursuit of the 25-year-old World Cup winner this summer.
Follow our Twitter handle for more updates.
