Barcelona have reportedly dropped their interest in defender Juan Foyth following a meeting with the Argentina international’s club Villarreal.
The Catalan outfit are determined to bring in a new right-back this summer, with the position not being addressed thus far in the transfer market despite their issues last term.
Barcelona head coach Xavi allegedly does not want to use Jules Kounde or Ronald Araujo in that position this season, while Sergino Dest is not in the club’s plans moving forward.
Foyth has long been linked with a switch to Camp Nou, as it is believed that senior figures at Barcelona, including their manager, view the 25-year-old as the ideal acquisition.
However, according to SPORT, the La Liga champions have ruled out the possibility of signing the South American following a meeting between Barcelona director Mateu Alemany and senior Villarreal officials.
The report claims that Barcelona had been hopeful of negotiating a deal for Foyth, who has a €54m (£46.6m) release clause in his contract with the Yellow Submarine.
The Catalan outfit had allegedly offered the Villarreal the chance to sign one of their players on loan, but it was made clear that the club would not be negotiating a fee.
As a result, Barcelona would be forced to pay €54m (£46.6m) to sign the defender, which is not realistic during this summer’s transfer window due to their financial problems.
Foyth made the move to Villarreal from Tottenham Hotspur in 2020, initially on loan, and he has represented the club on 100 occasions in all competitions, scoring three goals and registering five assists.
The Argentine has also been capped on 18 occasions by Argentina and was a part of the squad that won the World Cup last year, featuring in the semi-finals against Croatia.
The defender has another three years left to run on his contract, and Quique Setien’s side are not under pressure to sell due to the financial boost that they received by qualifying for this season’s Europa League.
Barcelona could now switch their attention to Joao Cancelo, who is free to leave Manchester City this summer.
Xavi’s side are said to be in discussions with the Citizens over a move for the Portugal international, although it is a complicated negotiation due to their financial restrictions.
Barcelona will begin the defence of their La Liga title with a clash against Getafe on Sunday night.
