Manchester United leading Barcelona in race for €30 million-rated full-back

Manchester United have taken the lead over Barcelona in the race for the signing of Bayer Leverkusen defender Jeremie Frimpong, reports BILD (h/t SPORT).

It is well-established at this point that Barcelona will go after the signing of a new right-back in the summer. Various names such as Joao Cancelo, Juan Foyth, Thomas Meunier and Benjamin Pavard have been linked with a move to Catalonia.

Frimpong was the latest addition to the list, with Fabrizio Romano reporting earlier this week that Barça had held direct talks with his agent over a possible move in the summer.

Frimpong has been one of the standout performers for Xabi Alonso’s Bayer Leverkusen side this season. The Dutchman has produced a return of eight goals and nine assists from 36 games in all competitions, showcasing his attacking qualities from the full-back position.

Given Barcelona’s long-running issues at right-back, Frimpong was being sought as a solution this summer.

However, as per the report, Bayer Leverkusen will not sell the right-back for anything less than €30 million. At this point, that seems to be a difficult figure to reach for the Blaugrana due to their Financial Fair Play woes.

On top of that, the Catalans seem to be prioritising reinforcements in attack, with Vitor Roque being a key target.

Manchester United, however, have no such issues and will have no problems matching Leverkusen’s €30 million valuation for Frimpong.

Furthermore, the report states that the 22-year-old has an emotional attachment to the city of Manchester, having grown up there when he was a part of the Man City youth academy.

So, as things stand, it is Erik ten Hag’s men who appear to have the upper hand over Barcelona in the race to sign Frimpong.

The Catalans have other options on the table as mentioned earlier. But Cancelo and Foyth are unlikely to come cheap either while Pavard could sign a new contract at Bayern Munich. Meunier could, thus, be a viable option, although his age would be a concern.

Barcelona also have good reports on Girona’s Arnau Martinez, who has a €20 million release clause. A former La Masia trainee, the teenager could emerge as a darkhorse option.

Player valuation in title obtained from transfermarkt.com on date of publication.