Barcelona assess €20m Borussia Dortmund defender amid right-back search – Report | OneFootball

FC Barcelona continue to scan the market for solutions at right back as the club looks to strengthen the squad for the medium term.

With Hansi Flick reshaping his defensive structure and the calendar packed with high-level fixtures, Barça view the full back positions as a decisive area for future planning.

Internal options have offered short-term answers, but the sporting department is intent on finding a specialist who can add both solidity and attacking punch on the flank.

During the first half of the season, Flick experimented on the right side of defence. Eric Garcia was initially asked to operate on the right due to Jules Kounde’s inconsistent form, but injuries and his encouraging performances in other roles forced the coach to redeploy him according to the team’s needs.

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Little by little, Jules Kounde regained his form and emerged as the only consistent choice on the right. At the same time, Barça’s recruitment team continued to compile detailed reports on several profiles who could reinforce that position in the coming windows.

According to Mundo Deportivo, one of the names that has risen on the club’s shortlist is Borussia Dortmund defender Julian Ryerson. The 28-year-old Norwegian joined Dortmund from Union Berlin in 2023. He is under contract at Signal Iduna Park until 2028 and is estimated to be worth around €20 million by Transfermarkt.

By nature, Ryerson is a full back, but this season, he has been playing as a wing back for Dortmund. Under coach Niko Kovac, the German side often lines up with three central defenders, and Ryerson operates on the right side of a five-man back line.

He has also featured as the right-sided centre back, a role similar to the one Kounde assumes when he stays deeper and does not push too high up the pitch. In previous seasons, the Norwegian has also been used as an emergency option at left back.

His performances have been strong enough to limit the impact of Yan Couto, whom Dortmund signed from Manchester City for €20 million. The former Girona player has not been able to make the right flank his own on a permanent basis.

At times, Couto and Ryerson have even shared the right side with the Norwegian stepping inside as a central defender. Ryerson also brings valuable experience at the very highest level, having started a Champions League final the one Dortmund lost to Real Madrid.

From a stylistic point of view, Ryerson is considered a more attacking player than Kounde. The contexts are different; the Norwegian often plays as an advanced wing-back while Kounde shares the right flank with Lamine Yamal.

Even so, the data suggests that the Dortmund defender offers greater output in the final third. Ryerson is involved in 21 fewer actions per game than Kounde overall, but he records 11 more touches in the attacking third.

As a consequence, Ryerson generates more shooting actions per match, attempts significantly more crosses, connects with the penalty area more frequently, and delivers a higher number of key passes, which lead directly to shots.

Kounde, on the other hand, is more present in the general progression phase and connects more often with the final third from deeper positions. Their zones of influence on the pitch are therefore different, and that distinction is central to Barça’s analysis.

The future role of Lamine Yamal will also shape the type of right back Barcelona ultimately decide to sign. If Lamine continues to operate as an out-and-out winger, the full back behind him will need to provide balance and defensive coverage.

If the youngster moves into more central zones, FC Barcelona may prefer a more aggressive overlapping profile, and as per the report from MD, Ryerson is seen as a player capable of adapting to both scenarios.

Ryerson is not the only candidate being monitored. The report also recalls the name of Joao Cancelo, who already wore the blaugrana shirt in the 2023/24 season and whose situation could once again be relevant for FC Barcelona.

Even so, the Norwegian presents a different profile to the Portuguese. In addition to his versatility in the back line, Ryerson is noted for his ability to take set pieces and for his stamina, which allows him to press high up the pitch over long stretches of the game.

For now, Barcelona’s primary objective for the winter transfer window lies elsewhere. The club is prioritising the signing of a left-sided centre back while remaining alert to possible market opportunities and to players who can cover multiple roles.

Within that broader strategy, Julian Ryerson stands out as one of the names being studied as a potential medium-term reinforcement for the right side of Barça’s defence.