Barcelona full-back target signs new contract with La Liga club | OneFootball

It is no secret that Barcelona are scouring the market for defensive reinforcements – something they consider imperative before starting the 2026/27 campaign.

While the major focus is on finding a long-term replacement for Inigo Martinez, the club also want to beef up their ranks in the fullback slots.

This comes amid concerns over the performance levels of Jules Kounde and Alejandro Balde, which have forced Barcelona to consider signing alternatives.

To that end, one of the players Barcelona had been tracking for a long time is Andrei Ratiu, who is regarded as one of the best full-backs in La Liga.

Big blow for Barcelona

However, in a major development, Ratiu has extended his contract at Rayo Vallecano until 2030, thus thwarting Barcelona’s hopes of signing him anytime soon.

Ratiu is regarded highly in La Liga. (Photo by Alex Caparros/Getty Images)

According to SPORT, Barcelona were always interested in Ratiu’s services but never approached the Romanian, primarily due to Eric Garcia’s emergence as an excellent backup for Kounde at right-back.

Other European clubs were keen on acquiring Ratiu’s services, but Rayo Vallecano remained steadfast and were able to sign a contract while holding on to the €25 million release clause.

Now, with the contract extension, the value of the new release clause has not been mentioned, but it is presumed to have increased further.

This makes things even more difficult for Barcelona, knowing that the club would have to pay even more to sign Ratiu should they revisit their interest in the Romanian defender next summer.

Fortunately, though, the right-back position is not an immediate concern for Barcelona, who are more worried about the left-back position and the lack of an alternative for Balde.