Barcelona want a left-sided centre-back – who are they targeting?

Martin Macdonald

• Updated: 19 May 2021 12:54 BST
• 3 min read

Barcelona may not be blessed with the financial might of previous seasons, but they are still likely to make moves in the summer transfer market.

While the acquisition of a striker remains a priority, the Blaugrana have also identified the need for a left-sided centre-back to come into the squad.

READ MORE: How €160m Barcelona flop Coutinho won Liverpool the Champions League

They currently have two already in Clement Lenglet and Samuel Umtiti, but form and injury issues for the latter have resulted in him becoming surplus to requirements at Camp Nou, meaning the club will try and sell the former Lyon man.

With a space set to open in the squad, which defenders are Barca targeting, according to Mundo Deportivo?

Alessio Romagnoli

Alessio Romagnoli is the club captain at Milan and was previously viewed as the best defender at the club before his form dipped as the current season progressed.

His current contract at San Siro runs out in the summer of 2022, and if a new deal isn’t agreed upon before this summer, then the Rossoneri will have to try and move him to to get some kind of transfer fee, rather than allowing him to leave for free a year later.

Romagnoli does apparently want to stay with Milan, but his reported demands of €6m a season to do so are believed to be a stumbling block in the negotiations.

If he doesn’t sign a new deal by the conclusion of the current campaign, Barca should be able to get him for a knockdown price.

Lisandro Martinez

Having recently purchased Frenkie de Jong and Sergino Dest, Barcelona have a good working relationship with Ajax which could play in their favour in their pursuit of Lisandro Martinez, a left-footed Argentine defender.

Not only would Martinez represent a good option at centre-back, but he can also play at left-back and in defensive midfield which may be attractive to Barca as he could be used as a utility man of sorts.

Martinez is by no means an automatic starter for Ajax, though, as both Daley Blind and wonderkid Perr Schuurs have started more Eredivisie games in the centre-back position than him in the 2020/21 campaign.

Whether that plays into Barcelona’s hands remains to be seen.

Marcos Senesi

Marcos Senesi spent his youth and the start of his senior career with San Lorenzo before making the move to Europe with Feyenoord in September of 2019.

He has developed into a key player for the Dutch side and has started every single one of their 28 Eredivisie matches in the 2020/21 campaign.

Senesi will probably be harder to get for Barcelona, however, as Feyenoord will be hoping to get close to his €50m release clause if they are to let him leave.

Also, he is apparently a wanted man, as FootballTransfers revealed earlier in the season that Real Madrid had a keen interest in a potential swoop.