Barcelona will not be in the race to sign Manchester United defender Diogo Dalot in January.
The Spanish giants have removed Dalot from their roster after Erik ten Hag recently made a public statement that the club will exercise the option to activate a one-year extension clause in the player’s contract.
Dalot’s contract expires at the end of the season and the club has chosen to activate the extension option so as not to lose him for free at that time.
Fichajes informs about this novelty: “Over the last few weeks, the media have pointed to the Portuguese Diogo Dalot as one of the possible candidates [to fill Barcelona’s right back vacancy].”
“Once the commitment has been extended for another year, Barça will no longer be able to consider signing him [Dalot] at low cost in January or without paying any euro in summer.”
“Given his economic situation, it is almost certain that the Portuguese is already eliminated from the list of possible reinforcements in the short term.”
Italian journalist and transfer expert Fabrizio Romano outlined United’s plan regarding their right-back situation: extend Dalot’s contract and then explore the substitute market.
The media have presented several names as possible arrivals to replace Dalot and compete with him.
Romano stipulated yesterday that Denzel Dumfries is Ten Hag’s preferred option, but the 20-time English champions will have to pay dearly to get him in January.
The reliable Florian Plettenberg also detailed yesterday that the club bosses at Old Trafford are big fans of Lyon defender Malo Gusto.
Another player that has been widely mentioned is Jeremie Frimpong.
With Barcelona no longer breathing down Dalot’s neck, the club should be in a much more relaxed and better position to negotiate the terms of a new deal with the Portuguese, who is a trusted lieutenant of Ten Hag.
