Barcelona is prepared to provide A deal has been struck to sign a 21-year-old defender from the Bundesliga.

Barcelona is reportedly willing to include Sergino Dest in a deal to sign Thomas Meunier from Bundesliga club Borussia Dortmund.

According to the Spanish publication SPORT, Barcelona may try a new ploy to sign Thomas Meunier from Borussia Dortmund during the current transfer window. The Catalan giants are willing to offer their out-of-favor 21-year-old defender Sergino Dest to the Bundesliga club in order to sign the Belgian full-back.

Thomas Meunier has had ups and downs in his long professional career, having played for both Paris Saint-Germain and Borussia Dortmund. While the 30-year-old has not been the undisputed first-choice full-back for either club, he has played fairly regularly for the Bundesliga giants since joining from PSG two years ago.

The Belgian international has appeared in 62 games for Borussia Dortmund, contributing three goals and seven assists. And Meunier’s performances at the Bundesliga club have piqued the interest of several European powerhouses, including Barcelona.

Barcelona’s interest arose as a result of their inability to secure the services of priority target Cesar Azpilicueta, who recently signed a new contract with Chelsea. However, with Dani Alves out of the picture and Sergio Dest’s surplus to requirements for Xavi Hernandez, Barcelona will need to invest in a new right-back.

In the early stages of the 2022/23 season, Xavi has used Ronald Araujo as a right-back, with Jules Kounde another makeshift option. However, Barcelona would be foolish to go an entire season without a recognized right-back, making Meunier a viable target. Dest could also be used by Barcelona to sign the Borussia Dortmund full-back.

The Catalan giants hope to entice Meunier away from the Bundesliga club through a swap deal. And bringing in the out-of-favor 21-year-old defender will make it a like-for-like transaction for Barcelona and Dortmund. Dest may not be in Xavi’s plans, but he has demonstrated enough talent to excel in the Bundesliga if the Black and Yellows sign him.

The 21-year-old could be Achraf Hakimi’s long-awaited success at Signal Iduna Park. Barcelona, on the other hand, will get a player who genuinely wants to play for the Blaugrana. So, once Barcelona submits its proposal, it will be interesting to see if its swap offer is successful.