Barcelona and Atletico Madrid register interest in La Liga defender – Football España

Right-back is a position that Barcelona intend to address next summer. Jules Kounde has been the undisputed starter in recent years, although there are plans for him to eventually return to playing as a central defender. Given that there is no obvious successor because Hector Fort is not particularly counted on, one is likely to be brought in.

As per ED, one player that Barcelona are considering is Rayo Vallecano’s Andrei Ratiu. However, they would be facing strong interest in the Romanian international as Atletico Madrid and AS Roma are also among the clubs in the race.

Ratiu has a €25m release clause in his Rayo contract, which does not run out until 2028. As such, it could be very difficult for Barcelona to prize him away from Vallecas for a price that would be acceptable to them. As such, they could find themselves behind others in the race for his signature.