Barcelona have certainly been active in the transfer market. The signing of Luis Suarez from Liverpool for €90m has certainly added star quality to an already world-class forward line.
In goal the Blaugrana have acted decisively in replacing injured Victor Valdes and the released Jose Manuel Pinto by acquiring Marc-Andre Ter Stegen from Borussia Monchengladbach and Claudio Bravo from Real Sociedad.
Moreover, Barca have added to their magnificent depth in youth by signing 18-year-old Croatian midfielder Alen Halilovic from Dinamo Zagreb, an excellent talent acquired for a initial fee of €2.2m.
However, it is in central defence where the Camp Nou outfit suffered last season under Tata Martino, which would lead to the Coach parting ways, and assured the club failed to win either La Liga or the Champions League for the first time since the 2007-08 season.
Acquiring a centre back should have been at the top of sporting director Andoni Zubizarreta’s list prior to the arrival of new Coach Luis Enrique. Veteran defender Carlos Puyol has retired leaving Gerard Pique, Marc Bartra and Javier Mascherano as their only options.
Pique was at times vulnerable last season and hasn’t rediscovered his best days since under Pep Guardiola. Bartra is a promising centre back, committed to Barca after signing a contract extension till 2017, and eager for more playing time after making 30 appearances last season. Mascherano meanwhile has performed well when employed in the heart of the defence but showed in the World Cup for Argentina why his best position is as a defensive midfielder.
However, the Blaugrana have started to make enquiries in their search for a centre back, with reports in the Spanish Press pointing to Valencia’s Jeremy Mathieu and Ajax’s Daley Blind as primary targets.
However, though both players have European experience, there are a few flaws in going for the duo. Mathieu has only played at centre back in recent seasons after playing at left back for most of his career. As for Blind, the Dutchman regularly plays either at left back or in the centre of midfield, with Louis van Gaal employing the 24-year-old in both positions during the World Cup.
In addition, a case can be made that there are vastly better option elsewhere in the market. Borussia Dortmund’s Mats Hummels enjoyed an excellent tournament in Brazil, where he lifted the trophy with Germany. It is reported he is valued at €20-€25m, but Coach Jurgen Klopp is likely to play hardball, especially after losing Mario Gotze and Robert Lewandowski in successive summers.
A cheaper alternative could be Feyenoord’s Stefan De Vrij. The 22-year-old Dutch centre back also enjoyed a good World Cup with his performances raising his profile. There has been reported interest from Lazio but De Vrij could represent a long-term option for the future if Barca decided to move in for him.
Either way it is imperative a good defender is bought, which can provide the assuredness, ruggedness and passion Carlos Puyol brought to Camp Nou. If the wrong option is bought, like paying €25m for Ukrainian defender Dmytro Chygrynskiy in 2009, then it would hinder Barcelona’s efforts to challenge for La Liga and Champions League next season.
