Barcelona prioritising the signing of a right-back next, Deco looking at several options

Despite their iffy financial situation, Barcelona have had some success in the transfer market so far, roping in Ilkay Gundogan, Inigo Martinez, and Oriol Romeu to strengthen the midfield and defence.

At the same time, the Catalans have also completed the signing of Vitor Roque, who will be arriving at the club next year due to the Financial Fair Play situation.

But the business is far from done at Can Barça. Indeed, Xavi is looking to bring in two more players at least before the transfer window closes, with a right-back and an interior midfielder understood to be on the manager’s wishlist.

And now, SPORT is reporting that the La Liga champions have made the signing of a right-back as their priority for now, with the possibility of bringing in a midfielder being pushed for a later stage in the window if the situation permits.

The Catalans have Sergi Roberto, Sergino Dest, and Julian Araujo as options at right-back at this point, with Jules Kounde apparently no longer keen on playing as a makeshift full-back.

Among the three choices, Roberto is not a regular, Araujo is close to leaving on loan, and Dest is likely to be shipped off as well.

As such, it becomes imperative for the Blaugrana to bring in a new right-sided full-back soon and sporting director Deco has now made it a priority objective.

The former midfielder wants to sign someone young, who can be a solution for the present and the future and is looking at several options in the market, one of whom is Real Valladolid’s Ivan Fresneda.

The 18-year-old, however, reportedly does not generate total consensus at the club. And with several Premier League clubs pushing to sign him, the teenager might not wait around for Barcelona.

Joao Cancelo of Manchester City is another option on the Catalan giants’ books. However, even a loan move for the Portuguese international for one year could end up costing Barça €20 million or more, making the operation unfeasible.

So, it will be interesting to see who Barcelona bring in, but as things stand, the signing of a right-back is the top priority for the club.