Barcelona reignite interest in 21-year-old right-back on Manchester City shortlist | OneFootball

Barcelona have identified the full-back positions as one of the primary weaknesses in their squad, and it seems Director of Football Deco is setting his mind to the task of addressing it this summer, albeit chained to their spending capacity set by the salary limit. One of the names they are following is on a number of Premier League shortlists too.

Espanyol right-back Omar El Hilali only came into the team last year in Segunda, but has not missed a beat with the step up to La Liga, and has held his own against some of the best wingers in Spain. According to Sport, Barcelona are paying close attention to El Hilali’s progress, and could be interested in a move for the 21-year-old, who is already a full international with Morocco.

El Hilali has a release clause of €25m, although if Los Pericos should suffer relegation, that figure will drop to €15m in the summer. Earlier in the season, El Hilali was linked to Aston Villa, Manchester City and Brighton, although Unai Emery’s side seem unlikely to move for El Hilali after signing Andres Garcia in January. This season El Hilali has started all but one of their 25 La Liga games, registering two assists.

Image via RCDE

El Hilali has revealed that earlier in his career he rejected offers from Manchester United and Barcelona, with the Blaugrana attempting to poach him as a youngster. As is the case with their interest in Espanyol goalkeeper Joan Garcia, a deal looks difficult due to the rivalry between the two. Espanyol would likely demand El Hilali’s full release clause up front from Barcelona, placing an obstacle in the way of a move, whereas they would likely make allowances for another club if it were a choice between selling to their city rivals or someone else.