Barcelona are having a hectic time at the moment. And it’s not over yet. The Camp Nou outfit are working hard behind the scenes to sell a number of players to replenish their coffers. And while Frenkie de Jong is expected to stay, Memphis Depay, who is closing in on Juventus, and Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang, who is keen on Chelsea’s advances, are close to the exit. In parallel, the Blaugrana are working hard to complete the squad under Xavi’s leadership. They are hoping to complete the arrivals of Marcos Alonso and Bernardo Silva.
A right-back is also expected in Catalonia. And in this position, there is no shortage of leads. After the failure of Cesar Azpilicueta, the Culés have looked at Thomas Meunier (Dortmund), Hector Bellerin (Arsenal), Diogo Dalot (Manchester United), Aaron Wan-Bissaka (Manchester United), and Jeremie Frimpong (Bayer Leverkusen). The name of Achraf Hakimi (PSG) has even been mentioned. But the hottest prospect in recent days has been Juan Foyth. However, Villarreal want to sell him for at least 42 million euros, the price of his release clause. This is impossible for Barça.
Hamari Traoré on Barça’s radar
Other options are therefore being studied by the Azulgrana management. Sport mentioned the name of Vanderson (Monaco) on Friday. But another player from our beloved Ligue 1 also appeals to the Spaniards. According to our information, Hamari Traore (Stade Rennais) is in the short list of Barcelona decision-makers. His profile is appreciated by Jordi Cruyff in particular. The right-back, who had a good season last year with the Bretons, has the advantage of being at the end of his contract in a year’s time, i.e. in June 2023, and is certainly more affordable than a Juan Foyth.
This summer, several teams have been testing the waters. As explained on our site last June, Borussia Dortmund inquired about him. But the Germans did not go any further. Eintracht Frankfurt did the same. In England, Crystal Palace showed interest in the Bamako native. Finally, there have been approaches from teams in Qatar. But they do not wish to pay a transfer fee. The field is therefore open if Barça ever wish to go beyond mere interest. To be continued…
source www.footmercato.net
