Manchester United fullback Ona Batlle is “very close” to completing a move to Barcelona, according to Relevo.com reporter Sandra Riquelme.
Daily Telegraph journalist Tom Garry first made the claim on BBC Radio 5 Live but Riquelme has now corroborated the story:
El regreso de Ona Batlle al Barça, cada vez más cerca.
📌 Según adelantó @TomJGarry y pudo confirmar Relevo, todo indica que la lateral será blaugrana de nuevo.
✍🏻 @SandraRiquelme_https://t.co/o4vgI2RXoO
— Relevo (@relevo) May 24, 2023
Batlle has spent the last three years with United, winning the club’s Player of the Year during her first season at the club, before being named in the WSL Team of the Year in her second campaign.
The 23-year-old came through Barca’s academy but she did not make her debut for the club’s first team before joining Madrid CFF in 2017. After spending a season in the Spanish capital, and another two with Levante, the defender arrived in Manchester back in 2020.
With Batlle’s contract set to expire at the end of this campaign, the right-back is now expected to return to the Camp Nou after six years away.
Russo’s Contract Situation At United
Like Batlle, Alessia Russo’s current deal is also set to expire this summer. Manager Marc Skinner was asked about both the England forward and Batlle’s contracts last month but he played down any concerns about their potential departures.
With Batlle’s impending exit, attention will quickly turn towards Russo. Arsenal made a record bid for the 24-year-old in January and they will be keeping tabs on her situation.
