Barcelona working with La Liga rivals to sign defensive talent on co-ownership deal | OneFootball

The right-back position was one that generated concern last season for Barcelona as a department where the club lacked depth. After all, Jules Kounde was seen to be the only player in the department.

Eric Garcia’s flawless adaptation to the position in Kounde’s absence, however, changed the outlook of the Catalan giants’ board who now see the versatile defender to be a more than able backup.

The right-back position, thus, has slipped down the priority charts and is no longer seen to be an emergency.

Estadio Deportivo (h/t SPORT), however, brings to light an operation Barcelona are pulling off to secure the department’s future.

A deal with Real Betis for Marc Pubill

Marc Pubill, Almeria’s young right-back, has been on Barcelona’s radar for a few years now and was even closely linked with a move to Barcelona in the summer of 2024. In the end, however, financial constraints saw talks fall apart.

Now with the Andalusian club failing to secure promotion, Pubill will leave Almeria and Barcelona do not wish to lose out on the opportunity.

Barcelona have held a long-term interest in Pubill. (Photo by Alex Pantling/Getty Images)

Concurrently, however, they know he will not see any minutes competing with Kounde at the moment.

As such, the Blaugrana are looking to enter a collaboration deal with Real Betis to sign Pubill on a co-ownership deal – much like they did for Emerson Royal a few years ago.

At the time, both clubs paid €6 million each to sign him and the player spent his first 2.5 years in Spain in Seville before making the move to Barcelona for a token fee from the Catalans.

In a similar way, both clubs wish to co-own Pubill this time around. Real Betis will acquire him directly as an option to reinforce their right-back department and will thus give him regular minutes to hone his skills.

Barcelona, which will collaborate on the deal, will also have control over his future and will wait for him to reach an appropriate level before taking him from Los Verdiblancos.

Talks are expected to accelerate now, especially with Spain no longer in contention in the U-21 Euros where Pubill was a part.