Xavi wants Barcelona to do all they can to sign Villarreal's Juan Foyth

Xavi wants Barcelona to do all they can to sign Villarreal's Juan Foyth

| sport

The Barça coach wants to sign the Argentine right-back this summer

The signing of a right-back at is an absolute priority for Barcelona. The coaching staff are clear that both Koundé and Araujo must move to the centre-back position, so a specialist with whom they can compete with total guarantees must be brought in. Xavi has been calling for the incorporation of Juan Foyth (Villarreal) for some time, convinced that he would make a very important leap in quality and has asked for an effort to bring in the Argentine.

The fixation on Foyth is not trivial. The Villarreal full-back has become one of the most effective full-backs in Europe and his display at the Bernabeu last week did not go unnoticed. Those who know him say he is one of the most difficult full-backs to beat and Barça need strength in that position to put an end to doubts. After the departure of Bellerín, who didn't work out either, Xavi is putting Araujo or Koundé in this position and Sergi Roberto has already moved more towards the centre of the pitch.

In the sports area, they know Xavi's desire, but they still find it very difficult to sign Foyth as Villarreal refuse to negotiate. They may need to sell at the end of the season, although if they end up in the Champions League, things would be even more complicated. For the moment, Villarreal are sticking to the player's buy-out clause -- over 60 million euros -- and have no intention of lowering that price with the inclusion of any player.

Barça have a list of alternatives for Foyth, although the insistence of the coaching staff is total. The club has spoken to Pavard (Bayern) and Meunier (Dortmund), but the former has already been ruled out. Jorge Mendes has offered Cancelo and has the challenge of getting a transfer at zero cost from Manchester City. All of them are big-name full-backs, but Foyth remains a priority as long as it is possible.

Topics with the letter