"Indeed, the report confirms that Marc Pubill was close to signing for Barcelona in the summer of 2024 when he was still at Almeria and seen as one of the brightest young Spanish talents. In fact, the Catalans' sporting director Deco almost had the deal completely finalised and even had a complete agreement in place with Pubill to arrive and strengthen Hansi Flick's team for his first season in charge."
"After all, the new manager was demanding a new right-back signing, but the club ruled out retaining Joao Cancelo after his loan stint. Given how Almeria were in the second division, Deco and Co. saw it to be an opportune time to pounce on Pubill for a paid loan of €5 million and a purchase clause of €12 million. His club at the time, however, declined the transaction at the last moment, hoping they could get more from his sale."
Barcelona have struggled to find a consistent solution at right-back, and Jules Kounde’s strong 2023-24 season raised hopes before a poor 2024-25 campaign changed perceptions. The club prioritized signing a new right-back after ruling out retaining Joao Cancelo. Marc Pubill, then at Almeria, came close to joining Barcelona in summer 2024, with Deco pursuing a paid loan of €5 million and a €12 million purchase clause. Almeria declined the offer seeking a higher fee. Atletico Madrid signed Pubill a year later for €16 million, and he has excelled at right-back and centre-back, now set to face Barcelona in the Copa del Rey semifinal.
Read at Barca Universal
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