Barcelona hold 'initial talks' with 30-year-old Borussia Dortmund star - Reports 

Despite their well-documented financial problems, Barcelona continue to be linked with a number of stars in the current transfer window as they bid to secure Champions League football next season.

The Catalans are currently fifth in La Liga with 35 points, one behind Atletico Madrid. So far this month they have recruited Ferran Torres from Manchester City, while Dani Alves returned to the Nou Camp in December last year.

Barca hope to rebuild further by bringing in a Borussia Dortmund defender before the winter transfer window ends. They are reported to have opened talks with Borussia Dortmund over the possible transfer of Thomas Meunier.

As reported by Marca journalist Luis Rojo, Blaugrana have already held initial talks with the player after the German club gave them the green light to sign the former PSG right back on loan.

The deal also includes an option to buy at the end of the season, and could also potentially involve Sergino Dest in a swap deal.

The 21-year-old American joined Barcelona in October 2020, but has been reduced to cameo appearances under Xavi Hernandez.

The new coach is particularly not impressed by Dest's defensive output and this was part of the reason that he brought in Alves despite the Brazilian being 17 years older than the USMNT star.

There has been talk of Dest leaving Barcelona just over a year after joining from Ajax and the Meunier deal could offer the young right-back an escape route from Camp Nou.

The Barcelona target has previously trashed the Catalans

Thomas Meunier - Borussia Dortmund v 1. FSV Mainz 05 - Bundesliga

In July 2017 Meunier suggested that PSG were a better club than Barcelona as reported by goal. Nevertheless, Barca were linked to the right-back a season later after it was reported the Belgian was facing an uncertain future in Paris.

Nothing came of the speculation at the time but now, about three years later, the defender could find himself on the books of a club he regarded as of a 'lower level' than PSG.

He told Goal in an interview:

“If the club continues to grow like it has, guys won’t want to go to Barcelona but will instead want PSG."

“I think that there’s still a chance for me to improve my level, especially with regards my consistency,” he explained. “But on the level of the team, there’s not much above PSG.”

30-year-old Meunier has been a key figure under BVB coach Marco Rose. He has started 16 games under Rose this season. He only joined Dortmund on a Bosman in the summer of 2020 and could be on the move once again.