Barcelona have reportedly made an enquiry for AS Monaco’s Brazilian defender Caio Henrique, who is also a summer transfer target for Paris Saint-Germain.
According to a report from Brazilian publication UOL, La Liga heavyweights Barcelona have set their sights on Brazilian left-back Caio Henrique, who has impressed heavily for AS Monaco, ahead of the upcoming transfer window.
Henrique, 23, started out with Brazilian giants Santos but was signed by Barcelona’s rivals Atletico Madrid in 2016. Having spent time with the club’s Under-19 side for the first couple of years, the defender then had loan spells away at Parana, Fluminense and Gremio, while he managed just one first-team appearance for Los Colchoneros before signing for AS Monaco last summer.
Since moving to Stade Louis II, Henrique has gone on to become a mainstay at the back for the Ligue 1 outfit, racking up 28 league appearances in which he has contributed with five assists, playing his part in Monaco’s push for a top three finish. The Brazilian’s development over the past year in France has now seemingly caught the sights of both Barcelona and PSG.
Barcelona, heading into the new season, are in the market for a new left-back as Jordi Alba, despite going strong this season, is entering the final phase of his career. With Junior Firpo failing to make the kind of mark that was expected of him, there is a very distinct possibility that he will be let go of by the Catalan giants in the summer, accentuating the need for a new left-back at Camp Nou.
Barcelona, to that end, have been linked with a number of players, most prominently Valencia’s Jose Gaya while Alfonso Pedraza of Villarreal has also been touted as a target. In addition to those names, Caio Henrique has also emerged as a potential target now, although the Blaugrana could face stiff competition from Paris Saint-Germain for the left-back.
PSG have four options on the left side of the defence in Juan Bernat, Laywin Kurzawa, Mitchell Bakker and Abdou Diallo, although Diallo is primarily a centre-back who can play at left-back. Nevertheless, Bernat has been out with a serious injury for a long while now while Kurzawa and Bakker have been inconsistent. The report adds that PSG will look to sell at least two of the four left-back options, and secure Henrique as a replacement.
Having signed him for a sum of €8 million plus €2 million in add-ons, AS Monaco now value Henrique between the €25-30 million mark. It now remains to be seen if Barcelona do act on their interest in the Brazilian or go after different targets to bolster the left-back region.