Barcelona coaches expect possible 2024 summer signing to reach the level of Ronald Araujo

Chadi Riad has been in the news lately after rumours about his potential return to Barcelona erupted in the Spanish media.

A centre-back by trade, Chadi had joined Real Betis on a season-long loan deal in the summer, with Betis having an option to buy the player for just €3.5 million at the end of the season.

While everything suggests Real Betis will want to buy the player for a cut-price deal, Barcelona are now reportedly keen on having him back at the club next summer.

It must be noted that the Catalans have an option to repurchase the player for a fee of €7 million, which they plan on activating.

Barcelona coaches rate Chadi highly

Although Real Betis are not aware of Barcelona’s interest in Chadi Riad, the club’s reported desire to bring the young defender back comes on the back of the player’s excellent performances at Betis.

With 13 appearances in the league so far, Chadi has already established himself as a first-team regular for Los Beticos, impressing the onlookers with his defensive organisation and skill.

In fact, Barcelona coaches are convinced that Chadi Riad has the potential to reach the level of Ronald Araujo, reports SPORT.

Barça’s plans for Chadi

The report further points out that the intention to bring back Chadi Riad is to balance things out in the defensive department.

The Catalans, after all, are facing pressure to rebalance the squad once again next summer amid high workforce expenditure.

Andreas Christensen and Jules Kounde are among the players facing the risk of being offloaded. The return of Chadi Riad, in that sense, could help Barcelona make up for the losses.

As mentioned earlier, the Barcelona coaches rate Chadi quite highly. His profile as a left-footed centre-back makes him an intriguing option in central defence, alongside someone like Araujo.