Barcelona eye €25 million-rated Brazilian defender as a plan B for Chelsea and Spanish left-back Marcos Alonso.
It goes without saying that Barcelona will be searching this summer for a new left-sided full-back to cover for and challenge seasoned star Jordi Alba. The Spaniard was pushed to the limit last season because he lacked a natural backup.
Barça has to solve that, thus arrangements have been formed to snag Marcos Alonso from Chelsea. A transfer for the Spaniard, however, is becoming more challenging since the Blues are seeking a hefty sum of money for the 31-year-old despite the fact that he only has one year remaining on his deal.
The Blaugrana are now compelled to consider other products on the market. Javi Galan of Celta Vigo is being considered as an option.
Now, SPORT claims that Barcelona has set its sights on Caio Henrique of AS Monaco as a backup strategy in case its pursuit of Alonso is unsuccessful.
The 24-year-old is not new to Spanish football; between 2016 and 2020, he was a player for Atletico Madrid for four years, albeit he only made one professional game for Los Rojiblancos.
But the Brazilian defender has improved since joining Monaco in 2020 and has made 85 appearances with two goals and 18 assists.
Caio Henrique is a left back of the current era with excellent attacking instincts, ball skills, and a quick recovery rate. He might potentially succeed Alba as the seasoned Spaniard hits the latter stages of his career.
Henrique is valued at between €20 and €25 million and has a contract with AS Monaco till 2025. However, the Premier League is also showing a lot of interest in the 24-year-old, which might cause problems for Barcelona.
It will be intriguing to watch whether the Blaugrana opt to pursue the Brazilian or keep looking into the possibility of acquiring Alonso from Chelsea.
