Revealed: Who Barcelona have lined up as Pique's replacement

FT Desk

• 8 Nov 2022 23:03 GMT
• 3 min read

Gerard Pique has retired, Inigo Martinez might be too expensive, and now Barcelona have a Plan B for their vacant centre-back position in the January transfer window…

Pique called time on his Barca career last week, bringing the curtain down on 14 glittering seasons in their first team in which he won La Liga eight times and the Champions League on three occasions.

Defensive deadlock

Although Barcelona signed two centre-backs this summer in the shape of Jules Kounde (€50 million from Sevilla) and Andreas Christensen (free from Chelsea), they have lost Ronald Araujo to torn groin muscle and Pique's retirement accentuates the need for yet another player in the position.

READ: ‘Nothing will be the same’ – How Barcelona reacted to Pique’s retirement

"Knowing that Gerard is leaving, maybe we do need to evaluate the signing of a left sided centre-back," Xavi said ahead of Pigue's final game - a 2-0 win over Almeria on Saturday.

Whilst some quarters of the Spanish press have reported that Athletic Bilbao's Inigo Martinez has already agreed terms on a move, he is only out of contract in June and Barca need a centre-back as soon as January.

Enter: Aymeric Laporte.

"Inigo is a priority option," reports Sport's Luis Miguelsanz. "But if it gets complicated, Barca are still interested in Aymeric Laporte as Plan B with full conviction. The coaches really like him, and he's at the perfect age to make an investment."

READ: Xavi announces Barcelona's January transfer priority

Laporte was undisputed first-choice at Manchester City last season, but injuries have held up his progress this season and the English champions also have Ruben Dias, John Stones, Nathan Ake and Manuel Akanji who can play in the position.

Laporte would cost more than Martinez - he is currently rated at €50m by Football Transfers in-house algorithm - but at 28 he has three years on Martinez and would be a better long-term solution.