Barcelona initiate contacts to sign injury-prone Ligue 1 right-back

Portuguese transfer insider Pedro Almeida has suggested that Barcelona are interested in singing OGC Nice right-back Youcef Atal. First contacts have been made between the two clubs already.

After Sergino Dest was dropped from the squad list to face Rayo Vallecano, Barça restarted their search for a right-back. They have been linked to several players in the last few days, with Villarreal’s Juan Foyth leading the race.

Thomas Meunier is also an option, while Gerard Romero has suggested that Jeremie Frimpong, Diogo Dalot, and Aaron Wan-Bissaka are also on the shortlist.

As for Atal, the Algerian is under contract with Nice until 2023, which means if Barcelona pursue his signature this summer, he is likely to be available at a discounted price.

That said, Atal has missed a whopping 63 games since his move to Nice in 2018. He averages no more than 19 games per season in the last four years, during which he has scored ten goals and assisted two.