Meunier mourns failed Barcelona transfer bid
Robin Bairner
- 1 Apr 2022 11:26 CDT
- 5 min read
Borussia Dortmund right-back Thomas Meunier has claimed that Barcelona had a transfer bid for him rebuffed during the January transfer window.
Head coach Xavi has rarely shown any significant trust in Sergino Dest, who was their regular in that role during a difficult first half of the season. Barca moved to sign Dani Alves to shore up their defence at the end of 2021 but he only became available for them in January.
Nevertheless, Meunier claims that he was wanted by the Camp Nou side as a further reinforcement – and he says he was left disappointed that nothing came of their offer.
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“When Dortmund called me about the offer they had received from Barcelona in January, they immediately said: 'Sorry, you can't leave,'” he told HLN.
“Barcelona is like a train that only passes once in a lifetime. I was also surprised when Jordi Cruyff called me. He explained the plan to me. Barça wanted to loan me with a compulsory purchase option or sign me immediately. Dortmund is a great club, but Barca…”
Meunier’s career to date
Meunier was a striker in his younger days but had moved into a defensive role by the time he made his big breakthrough playing for Club Brugge in his homeland. It was during that time he caught the eye of Paris Saint-Germain, where he would move in 2016 and spend four years.
His contract was allowed to expire at PSG in 2020 and as a consequence he would miss out on the team’s run to the Champions League final in August that year, instead moving to Dortmund.
He has been a regular for Dortmund since moving to the Bundesliga and is a player who is more noted for his attacking capabilities than his defensive qualities. As a result, he has been highly effective as a wing-back.
Meunier has 54 Belgium caps to his name.
