Barcelona will not be in the race to sign Manchester United defender Diogo Dalot in January.
The Spanish giants have struck Dalot off their list after Erik ten Hag recently made a public declaration that the club will exercise the option to trigger a one-year extension clause on the player’s contract.
Dalot’s contract expires at the end of the season and the club has opted to trigger the extension option to avoid losing him for free at that time.
Fichajes reports on this development, “Through these last 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 is extended for one more year, Barça will no longer be able to consider signing him [Dalot] at a low cost in January or without paying any euro in the 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 with regard to their right-back situation – extend Dalot’s contract and then explore the market for backups.
Several names have been fronted by the media as possible arrivals to come in and deputise for Dalot as well as provide competition for him.
Romano stipulated yesterday that Denzel Dumfries is Ten Hag’s preferred option but the 20-time English champions will need to pay big to get him in January.
The reliable Florian Plettenberg also detailed yesterday that club bosses at Old Trafford are big admirers of Lyon defender, Malo Gusto.
Another player that has been widely mentioned is Jeremie Frimpong.
With Barcelona no longer breathing down the back of Dalot’s neck, the club should be in a much more relaxed and better position to work out the terms of a fresh deal with the Portuguese, who is a trusted Ten Hag lieutenant.
