Barcelona have been the most exciting team to watch in European football this season under Hansi Flick, and despite losing 1-0 to Real Sociedad this past Sunday, the Blaugrana are a deserving first in La Liga after previously being blown out of last year’s title race by Real Madrid.
Although Barcelona have been led by a relentless attack that features the best front quartet in football – Dani Olmo, Raphinha, Lamine Yamal, and Robert Lewandowski – the defense has been quite solid with Pau Cubarsi and the underrated Inigo Martinez anchoring the back line.
But if there’s one position Barcelona can afford to add more talent, it is right back. Jules Kounde has been exceptional at the position, but he is a center back by trade and projects to switch back to central defense long-term.
Although Kounde’s footballing intelligence and passing accuracy make him a legitimate option at right back, including one match with three assists, it would behoove Barcelona to land a more attacking right back option alongside the Frenchman.
Here are three underrated players for Barcelona to consider signing at right back in the summer 2025 transfer window.
Nicolo Savona, Juventus
Juventus are mining untapped prospects under new manager Thiago Motta, who has been much more welcoming to the talented youth in Turin than any of his predecessors at the Allianz Stadium.
The 21-year-old Nicolo Savona looks like the latest gem to watch, and he’s already scored two goals at the right back position under Motta this season in Serie A with a healthy average of 1.5 key passes per game.
Savona may be difficult to acquire since Juventus should regard him highly as an ascending prospect at a scarce position, as he should be able to help lock the position down for the next several years.
But Savona could also be a competent playmaking right back for Barcelona, checking off a key box in terms of his chance creation as a supporting player to world-class 17-year-old right winger Lamine Yamal.
Dodo, Fiorentina
Fiorentina have been the surprise side of Serie A this season, but anyone who looked closely at their squad prior to the start of the 2024/25 campaign may not be surprised by the Viola’s success.
Moise Kean has been the main breakout star in Firenze this season, but credit must also be given to Brazilian right back Dodo, who is finally breaking out as one of the best in the world at his position here in 2024.
A few years ago, Dodo was closely linked to Real Madrid as a backup option for Dani Carvajal, as Shakhtar Donetsk stars and other standouts in the Ukrainian top flight were exiting the country due to Russia’s invasion.
Dodo landed in Fiorentina instead, and he is now coming into his own at the age of 25. He could be headed to Barcelona instead, and something tells me he could be a perfect fit for the Blaugrana’s swashbuckling attacking style.
You can make a strong case for Dodo being the best right back in Europe thus far with 1.3 key passes, 1.8 dribbles completed, and 1.5 fouls drawn per game for the Viola.
Dodo is putting up better all-around supporting numbers than any other Fiorentina player, including the forwards, and he’s doing it while playing excellent defense with a tackle and 1.3 interceptions per game to boot.
Andrei Ratiu, Rayo Vallecano
Within La Liga, Rayo Vallecano standout Andrei Ratiu is a player worth watching closely, as he’s built on an exceptional European Championship campaign for Romania that saw him enter the radar of several notable clubs around European football.
Ratiu, like Dodo, is smack in the prime of his career at right back at the age of 26. He is averaging a key pass per game and has been one of the elite progressors in world football at the position this season with 2.2 dribbles completed per contest.
Just as he was at the Euros for his country, Ratiu has been exceptional in one-on-ones, actively winning possession with two tackles per match while only being dribbled past 0.3 times per game.
Barcelona may want to aim higher in terms of name value, but Ratiu is a proven, all-around La Liga right back who would come cheap and can be a more two-way complement to Jules Kounde at the position.
