The five centre backs Barcelona could sign this summer
Karan Tejwani
- Updated: 12 May 2022 16:15 BST
- 3 min read
Barcelona are eager to improve their defensive options and have targeted a host of defenders ahead of the summer transfer window.
The Catalan side have improved drastically in the second half of the season under Xavi, and have risen to second place in La Liga, having already secured Champions League qualification.
When Xavi joined, Barcelona were in ninth and struggling, with qualification for Europe’s top club competition seeming unlikely.
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Now that they’ve risen, they want to get even better and challenge for the title, as well as compete in the Champions League, which they failed to do in the past season.
They’ve targeted five centre-halves who they think can improve them, and two of them play at fellow La Liga sides in the form of Sevilla’s Jules Kounde and Villarreal’s Pau Torres.
Both players are of interest to many other clubs across Europe and Barcelona will face stiff competition to sign them, with Chelsea and Manchester United’s financial might likely to give them a tough fight for the players’ signatures.
Other options, according to Mundo Deportivo, include Manchester City’s Aymeric Laporte, Juventus’ Matthijs de Ligt and Southampton’s Mohamed Salisu, but Barcelona know any deal would be complicated.
Barcelona are interested in Jules Kounde.
That's according to @diarioas, who report that Xavi Hernandez is keen to bring in a top-class centre-back this summer. pic.twitter.com/J7LKKOss4N— Football España (@footballespana_) May 10, 2022
Laporte is still an important part of City’s plans, combining well with the likes of Ruben Dias and John Stones, while De Ligt won’t come cheap, seeing as he’s young and Juventus view him as a long-term player.
Barcelona are already set to bring in Andreas Christensen on a free transfer from Chelsea as his contract is set to run out, while Christensen’s Chelsea team-mate Cesar Azpilicueta could be on his way too.
It is likely that Barcelona have to sell in order to buy, as they are still suffering from serious financial issues and can only fund free or loan transfers from other clubs.
