Barcelona director of Football Deco stated on the weekend that people should leave with five central defenders on the senior side, because that was too much in his eyes. A message that will be received lower in the ranks, with one of the defenders of Barca Atletic for a departure.
That is the situation for Sergi Dominguez, who was a surprise function at the start of the Barcelona season. Dominguez, 20, made six performances for Hansi Flick this season and became an option in the early stages of the season with the Blaugrana struggling with injuries on the back. In the second half of the season, he was for the most part a starter for Barca Atletic in the second half of the season.
However, it seems that Dominguez Barcelona will leave for further opportunities next season. According to Matteo Moretto, De Jonge in the middle is only one step away from Dinamo Zagreb at the Croatian side, although no further information is provided. Barcelona has closed Dominguez to the club until 2027 and will undoubtedly hope to bring a fee for him to alleviate their problems with the salary limit.
Last week it was reported that the Italian side Empoli would also like to bring in Dominguez, albeit on a loan basis. The Blaugrana probably seems to give preference to a permanent exit – even if Dominguez could increase its value with strong performance next season, they should hand him a contract extension to give himself a negotiating position next year.
Barca Atletic suffered this season for the second time in 50 years of relegation to the fourth level of Spanish football. That will force a number of players to reconsider their future, and Barcelona to reconsider their plans for the next generation. Currently, Alvaro Cortes, Alexis Olmedo and Andres Cuenca are their alternatives at the position for Barca Atletic, taking into account the Blaugrana can rely on their reserves if the needs in the first team are.