Barcelona have all but ruled out the signing of Manchester United right-back Diogo Dalot.
The blaugrana now see the Dalot operation as too complicated and no longer worth pursuing.
This is after Erik ten Hag and the club moved to activate the one-year extension clause in Dalot’s contract along with other stars including Marcus Rashford, Luke Shaw and Fred.
Xavi’s men were betting on the Portuguese to become free and sign him practically at no cost.
Barcelona is now pursuing other objectives.
The Spanish publication Sport reports: “Another of the great candidates was Diogo Dalot, but Manchester United have unilaterally renewed him for one year and a transfer would have to be negotiated with the English club.”
The Portuguese winger would have been a priority at zero cost, although with the new parameters it is difficult to incorporate him.
In fact, at Barça they believe that the player will end up reaching an agreement with United to renew several more seasons.
With the Catalan club removing Dalot from their roster, attention has shifted to two Bundesliga full-backs: Benjamin Pavard and Thomas Meunier.
Meunier’s contract with Dortmund expires in 2024, making him an attractive option at a reduced price. The Belgian has given his go-ahead for transfer negotiations to begin.
Pavard is also open to a change at the Camp Nou.
However, Barcelona harbors doubts about Pavard. The player, who has also been linked with United, appears to be a troublesome character.
Pavard has had several disputes both at Bayern Munich and within the French camp. His fractured relationship with elements of the France team greatly limited his playing time at the World Cup.
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