Villarreal have given the green light for Foyth’s move to Barcelona – report

It seems Barcelona have finally sorted their new right-back for the 2022/23 season, as Josep Capdevila reports that Villarreal have approved Juan Foyth’s move this summer. They are looking to sign former Barcelona player Ivan Balliu as the replacement for €10 million.

Foyth’s release clause sits at €42 million, but it seems improbable that Barcelona will pay that amount given their financial problems. It is more likely that the Catalans have negotiated with the Yellow Submarines to bring the price down, but keep it lucrative enough.

After all, Villarreal are also short of money themselves, and will not mind some extra cash even if it means selling one of their most important players this late in the transfer window.

That said, Foyth was in no way, shape, or form Barcelona’s first-choice to reinforce the right-back position. Xavi wanted the club to sign Cesar Azpilicueta, who eventually renewed his contract with Chelsea.

In a lot of ways, the 24-year-old mirrors Azpilicueta’s profile at Villarreal. He can slot in as both a centre-back and right-back, is a decent passer, but most importantly, a solid defender.

On the contrary, his offensive exploits are nothing to be written about. Last season, he created no more than one chance every other game, while attempting just 15 passes in the opposition half per game.

His arrival, though, means Sergino Dest’s time at Barcelona has come to an end. The American was not included in the squad list for the league curtain raiser against Rayo Vallecano, and is in negotiations with Manchester United as his next club.