Barcelona defensive prospect closing in on Croatia move – report | OneFootball

Barcelona are set to part ways with another young talent from their academy, with journalist Matteo Moretto confirming that Dinamo Zagreb are on the verge of signing 20-year-old centre-back Sergi Dominguez.

The promising defender, who featured for Barça Atletic, will leave the club following the reserve team’s relegation, a setback that triggered a wave of exits among its key players.

Dominguez had previously attracted attention from Empoli, who were exploring a loan move to strengthen their defensive options.

However, Dinamo Zagreb have acted swiftly and are now leading the race to finalise the deal. The Croatian club’s interest in Dominguez is serious, and a move is expected to be confirmed shortly.

No clear path to the first team

For Dominguez, the decision to leave appears well-timed. Despite his talent, breaking into the senior Barcelona squad was always going to be a challenge.

Sergi Dominguez is set to leave Barcelona. (Photo by SAMUEL CORUM/AFP via Getty Images)

The centre-back hierarchy at Camp Nou is already overloaded, with Pau Cubarsi, Ronald Araujo, Andreas Christensen, Inigo Martinez, and Eric García all ahead of him.

To make matters more competitive, Barça Atletic teammates Alexis Olmedo and Andres Cuenca are expected to take part in the senior team’s pre-season, pushing Dominguez even further down the list.

While Barcelona are considering trimming the senior squad, most notably exploring options to sell Andreas Christensen, the Danish international has shown no desire to leave.

With his contract running until 2026, he intends to honour it, making space for players like Dominguez even more limited.

In this context, a move abroad is the right call for Dominguez. At 20, he needs regular game time to continue developing, and Dinamo Zagreb offer him the platform to compete at a high level and gain European experience.

The transfer represents a logical step forward for both the player and Barcelona, who continue to manage an overloaded backline as they prepare for the new season.