Barcelona enter race to sign Dortmund star

Tom Weber

• Updated: 4 Apr 2023 00:20 BST
• 3 min read

Borussia Dortmund could be set for a summer exodus. Jude Bellingham has repeatedly been linked with a move away, and now another star has emerged as a transfer target for a top club.

Dortmund are one of Europe's biggest talent producers, but their title hopes were yet again dashed when they were demolished 4-2 by Bayern at the weekend. The Black and Yellow are always the bridesmaids as Bayern are set to make it eleven Bundesliga titles on the bounce this season.

The lack of tangible success in the form of silverware - not counting the DFB-Pokal - makes it hard for Dortmund to keep hold of their best players. Indeed, Jude Bellingham looks likely to be heading for the exit after another season without a league title, while Gregor Kobel, whose mistake led to Bayern's opening goal, has been linked with moves to Chelsea and Manchester United.

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Additionally, Thomas Meunier could be on his way out in the summer, and his destination is a rather surprising one.

Meunier to Barca?

The club in question is Barcelona. The Blaugrana's desire to add another right-back to their side is well-known, and they may have found their man in Meunier.

According to SPORT, talks between Dortmund and Barcelona are already ongoing. However, the latter are not prepared to match the German sides' valuation of €15 million and are looking to drive the price down substantially.

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Regardless of Barcelona's financial problems, Meunier is nowhere near worth as much as €15 million. Indeed, he is someone who has come to epitomise Dortmund's underperformance in recent years; a player who is good on his day but who also makes too many mistakes to warrant playing at the highest level.

The former PSG man is 31 and out of contract in 2024, so Barcelona "believes that by this point in his career his cost should be close to zero," according to the Spanish paper. In order to facilitate a move, the Blaugrana may even be prepared to sacrifice Sergino Dest.