Barcelona right-back target will no longer wait for the club, studying other options

Over three weeks have elapsed since the end of the 2022/23 campaign. However, Barcelona still appear undecided on several of their transfer plans with only Inigo Martinez, Ilkay Gundogan, and Vitor Roque’s deals making tangible progress.

Thomas Meunier was one of the several defenders linked with the Catalans giants over the past few months. The Belgian International was seen as a solid option to play at right-back, especially given Jules Kounde’s reluctance to play in the position next season.

According to reports from Mundo Deportivo, the Borussia Dortmund star is understandably running out of patience. He will not wait for Barcelona anymore and has begun evaluating the other options on his table.

The Catalans, for their part, undoubtedly need a new right-back for the 2023/24 campaign. It is one of the squad’s few weak spots, and Xavi Hernandez has not shied away from accepting the same.

However, there has been a radical change in approach in recent weeks. Reports state that Barcelona no longer consider the right-back department to be a priority in the immediate future, with three players in the squad being delegated the responsibility of handling the position.

The club’s January signing Julian Araujo is said to have impressed the manager and his performance in pre-season will go a long way in the evaluation of the situation. Moreover, Kounde and Sergi Roberto are two able backups who can chip in when needed.

Meunier’s move to Barcelona, thus, no longer appears to be on the cards. Given that the player still has a year left on his contract with Borussia Dortmund does not help his case either, for Barcelona are treading a tightrope on the financial front.

In the 2022/23 Bundesliga campaign, the 31-year-old created three big chances for Dortmund. However, he did not register a single-goal contribution in the league.