Thomas Meunier reveals Barcelona made a bid to sign him in January
By Tushar Bahl
Thomas Meunier has revealed that FC Barcelona were interested in signing him in January, but Borussia Dortmund rejected their approach.
Thomas Meunier could have joined FC Barcelona in January, had Borussia Dortmund not turned down their approach. The right-back has revealed that the Spanish giants wanted to sign him during the January transfer window, but the offer was knocked back by the BVB bosses.
Meunier also revealed that he had a chat with FC Barcelona advisor Jordi Cruyff, who told him that they wanted to sign him either on a permanent transfer or on an initial loan deal with an obligation to buy.
And while the idea of moving to Barcelona was a very tempting one for the Belgian international, he understood why Borussia Dortmund did not let him leave in January.
In an interview with Het Laatste Nieuws, Meunier said:
"“It could have been… Barcelona were looking for a reliable right-back for an affordable price, given their financial situation. I fit their profile. I have proven that this season. But when Dortmund called me about the offer they received from Barcelona, it immediately sounded like, ‘Sorry. you can’t leave.'”“Barcelona, that’s a train that only passes once in a lifetime. Dortmund is already a big club,but Barça… It’s unique. Just like Real, Bayern and United are in their own way. In principle you don’t say ‘no’ to such clubs. Mentally it was not simple. But I understand Dortmund, it was barely a week before the end of the window.”“Maybe Dortmund would have said ‘yes’ if it had been a bid of 50 million euros, but that was unrealistic.”"
Meunier joined Borussia Dortmund on a free transfer from Paris St. Germain in 2020, and has made a total of 59 appearances for the club so far.
The 30 year old endured a difficult debut season in Dortmund and lost his spot in the team towards the end of the campaign. But he has bounced back well this season and has established himself as the team’s first-choice right-back. He is currently sidelined with a thigh injury, and could be forced to miss the rest of the season as a result.
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Meunier has been a polarising figure among Borussia Dortmund supporters over the last 18 months. But selling him that late in the transfer window would have left those in charge with hardly any time to find a replacement.