Barcelona are expected to have another busy summer transfer window. Before signings can even be considered, they need to make sales – and fast, with the deadline to return to the 1-1 La Liga rule ending on the 30th of June.
The likes of Raphinha and Frenkie de Jong have been linked with possible departures, but one of the areas that is expected to be most affected by this is defence. The likes of Ronald Araujo, Jules Kounde and Andreas Christensen have all been noted as possible leavers, and the latest to add to this list is Inigo Martinez, who has struggled for playing time in recent weeks because of the emergence of Pau Cubarsi.
Furthermore, with Eric Garcia to come back from his loan spell at Girona, and Chadi Riad being re-signed from Real Betis, Barcelona will have a significant excess of centre-backs. So, what should they do about it?
Firstly, it’s clear that Araujo and Cubarsi should be untouchable. Both players are seen as being current and future Barcelona stalwarts, and by playing together consistently in the coming years, they can develop into one of the best defensive partnerships in the world.
In terms of the remaining players, the likelihood is Riad will stay, as he has impressed at Betis, and Barcelona are paying significantly money to get him back. He’s only 20, and can be a very good player at the Catalan giants for many years to come. On Garcia, he’s unlikely to be a long-term player for the club, so it would not be a surprise if he was sold, or at least loaned out again.
The big dilemma facing Barcelona involves Christensen and Kounde. Both players would likely command large fees, so it’s about choosing who is needed the least. Both have the advantage of being versatile (Christensen at DM, Kounde at RB), and when you consider this, it’s more likely that the Dane would be better kept, as the Blaugrana may not be able to sign a top-level pivot for the second straight summer because of their money problems.
Kounde is probably the better player, but if you consider Barcelona’s likely best possible defence (Cancelo-Araujo-Cubarsi-Balde) then it’s probable that he doesn’t feature. Julian Araujo will be returning to the first team in the summer too, so there would be even less use for him.
Ultimately, a lot of this is hypothetical because it’s unknown who Barcelona’s next manager, and also who he will perceive as being sellable. Whoever does come in will have a big job, alongside Deco, of deciding.
