Barcelona defensive target has starting asking price of €10m – Football España

Barcelona are looking ahead to the summer transfer window, during which they are expected to be busy, now that they are back within La Liga’s 1:1 rule. Sporting director Deco is the man tasked with leading the search for new signings, and although he has expressed his opinion that a plethora of arrivals is not needed, there should still be significant movement.

One of the requests that Deco is handling from Barcelona head coach Hansi Flick is the signing of a new right-back. Jules Kounde has been undisputed in the position over the last 2-3 years, but the German coach is concerned about the lack of depth, seemingly making himself clear that Hector Fort is not yet up to standard.

Deco is in the process of drawing up a shortlist of possible targets that Barcelona could go for, and one of those is believed to be Andrei Ratiu. The Romanian international has impressed at Rayo Vallecano over the last 12 months, and now could be the time for him to make a step up.

Ratiu will be entering the final 12 months of his Rayo contract when the summer rolls around, so his asking price will be reduced. According to Sport, Los Franjirrojos will accept no less than €10m, with the maximum sum set as the 26-year-old’s €25m release clause.

The expectation is that price for Ratiu will be higher than in normal circumstances, given that Villarreal would be entitled to 50% of the fee received, as they have half of the player’s rights. In this regard, it becomes more difficult for Barcelona, as they will not want to pay too much for a Kounde backup.

It remains to be seen whether Ratiu is the player that Barcelona seek in the summer. He would be a fine squad option, but his price could be out of reach.