Barcelona asked to hand out €20 million to sign 23-year-old defender

A report from Brazilian outlet UOL has provided a fresh update on Barcelona’s pursuit of Shakhtar Donetsk and Brazil right-back Dodo.

The 23-year-old defender has been with Shakhtar since 2019 and has been a solid performer. Even though his contract with the club runs until 2025, Dodo is keen on securing an exit this summer from the war-ravaged Ukraine, where football has been suspended.

Dodo has previously attracted interest from Tottenham Hotspur and Bayern Munich. The former even having an offer of around €20 million getting rejected by Shakhtar last year, following which they signed Emerson Royal from Barcelona.

And, as per the aforementioned report, the Ukrainian giants will demand a sum of at least €20 million for Dodo with Barça now keen on landing the right-back.

The Catalan giants have Dani Alves and Sergino Dest as options at right-back while Sergi Roberto and Oscar Mingueza are also capable of donning the role.

However, among the quartet, Dest and Mingueza are likely to be sold this summer, whereas Dani Alves is also expected to depart at the end of the calendar year, post the FIFA World Cup in Qatar.

So, at least one new right-back is a necessity for the Blaugrana. Chelsea captain Cesar Azpilicueta is a target very much on the agenda. Along with him, Barcelona now also want to land Dodo, who has been dubbed the new ‘Dani Alves’.

Reports in Spain had indicated that Barça might consider a loan-to-buy arrangement for the Brazilian. But it seems like Shakhtar Donetsk prefer a direct sale in the summer and will demand a minimum of €20 million for their defender.

Whether Barcelona show a willingness to match that valuation remains a big question, given their current financial plight.