Barcelona right-back target suffers ACL injury, will return next season

With Barcelona exploring the market for a new right-back to provide cover and competition for Jules Kounde, the name of LOSC Lille star Tiago Santos had emerged as an option.

Indeed, it was claimed that Barcelona had been tracking the 22-year-old Portuguese defender as part of their transfer plans for the summer of 2025.

Tiago Santos out with an ACL injury

However, any chance of a summer transfer now appear to have ended as Fabrizio Romano confirms that Tiago Santos is out for the rest of the season due to an ACL injury.

Santos, 22, was away on national team duty with the Portugal Under-21 national team but returned to Lille early after a fitness setback in a game last week.

Medical tests on Monday revealed no injury and the young right-back resumed training as per normal with his club teammates, only for him to rupture his ACL during a session on Tuesday.

Tiago Santos (L) out with ACL injury. (Photo by Ahmad Mora/Getty Images)

As per the update from Romano, Santos’ season is as good as over and the right-back will now only return to action in the 2025/26 campaign.

This development pretty much puts an end to any hopes of a possible transfer to Barcelona in the summer.

The Catalans remain keen on signing a new right-back to compete with Kounde even though manager Hansi Flick has young Hector Fort as an option for the position.

But with Santos now out for a considerable time, Barcelona might look at other options with former La Masia talent Oscar Mingueza also very much on the agenda.