Barcelona told leading defensive target will be more expensive than first thought | OneFootball

In the last couple of weeks, Barcelona have stepped up plans to bring in a new central defender this summer. They have identified Aymeric Laporte as a leading target, having been left very impressed with his performances alongside Pau Cubarsi for Spain at the 2026 World Cup, and early reports had suggested that he could be available for as little as €15m.

Laporte is reportedly keen on a move to Barcelona, and with his release clause seemingly being very affordable, it gave hope that a deal could be done. However, it’s now been reported by Sport that Athletic Club have more of a safety net when it comes to keeping the world champion.

Rather than being valued between €12-15m, it’s been reported by the Catalan daily that Laporte’s release clause is actually closer to double this price. In essence, it means that Barcelona would have to pay closer to €30m to sign him from San Mames, and given he’s 32 years of age, there is unlikely to be much willingness to reach this amount.

How should Barcelona approach their centre-back search?

Although it had not been much of a priority up until now, it is wise for Barcelona to be going after a new central defender – and an experienced one at that, given they severely lacked this during their Champions League run in the 2025-26 season. Laporte would be a top signing, although it would make little sense to spend €30m on him given their financial restrictions.

Instead, it would surely be more wise to go for someone like Cristian Romero, whom they do already have interest in. Like Laporte, he was excellent at the World Cup, and for a player four years younger, he is likely to only cost an additional €20m, which could end up being well worth it in the long run.