Barça's Objective?: Yan Couto under the microscope against Dortmund

The FC Barcelona board does not rule out pursuing another right-back in the upcoming summer transfer market. Beyond the issues with financial 'Fair Play' and the open 'war' with LaLiga and its president, Javier Tebas, the azulgrana team hopes to have favorable economic conditions to strengthen next season. One of the positions expected to incorporate players is the right-back, as the option of Héctor Fort as a replacement for Jules Koundé raises more doubts than certainties.

In this regard, one of the names that Barça has in mind is Yan Couto. The Brazilian knows LaLiga very well after spending two years on loan at Girona and will be a Borussia Dortmund player, in all respects, starting July 1, when his transfer for 25 million euros becomes effective. The Germans agreed to pay that amount to Manchester City after initially negotiating a loan for 4 'kilos' net for a year.

Yan Couto dreams of returning to LaLiga with Barça

Beyond this scenario, the player from Curitiba has serious chances of returning to LaLiga, as his performance in Germany has been well below expectations. So far, he has 1 assist in 26 matches (993 minutes) with Niko Kovac's team, alternating between starting and bench roles, without settling into the Croatian coach's XI. However, Couto hopes to be part of the lineup on Wednesday against Barça, a key match for the defender regarding his chances of returning to Spain.

With Girona, Yan left a very different impression, scoring 5 goals and providing 17 assists in 95 matches. Hence, Míchel's team is the first interested in bringing him back in the summer, as long as Dortmund agrees to negotiate a simple loan at an affordable price. For Barça, a notable performance from the Brazilian in the quarter-final tie could tip the scales in favor of the defender, although everything will depend on the club's financial conditions in the next transfer window.

With that in mind, Deco will be very attentive to his performance, as negotiating a loan for around 5 million euros could be viable for Barça if, ultimately, Hansi Flick requests the arrival of another right-back. Héctor Fort has played very little in the German's plans (he has barely played 480') and it is clear that Koundé needs a breather, even though the Frenchman is performing at an exceptional level despite his notable fatigue with the culés and his national team.