Barcelona come up with intriguing Plan B for January if centre-back search proves futile | OneFootball

The serious injury suffered by Andreas Christensen, which could rule him out for around four months, has forced FC Barcelona to scour the market for centre-backs ahead of the January transfer window.

The priority is to find a centre-back who can play on the left side, preferably left-footed, as this is the clear preference of Hansi Flick for January. The challenge, however, is considerable.

The player would need to be in a situation where his club is willing to let him leave mid-season, must not represent a major financial outlay for Barça and, above all, he must have the requisite qualities to perform immediately in Flick’s demanding system.

Barcelona’s Plan B

Finding such a profile is far from easy. Faced with this difficulty, Barcelona have been forced to consider alternative tactical options in order to broaden the range of potential winter reinforcements who could cover Christensen’s absence.

According to Mundo Deportivo, if it proves impossible to sign a reliable, top-level centre-back, the alternative is to look for a defensive midfielder who can also operate in the heart of the defence.

This would provide solutions in two positions. Not only because the midfielder in question could drop into defence, but also because it would allow Eric Garcia to return to his natural role as a centre-back.

Out for four months. (Photo by Stu Forster/Getty Images)

In short, a midfield signing could give the coach more options to fill the gaps in central defence. Eric remains a centre-back by trade, even if he is currently performing very well as a pivot.

If Flick could count on a pool of centre-backs including Pau Cubarsi, Eric, the newly converted Gerard Martin and the returning Ronald Araujo, the situation would be far less problematic.

As such, Barça are considering widening their positional search to include defensive midfielders who are accustomed to dropping deeper and playing as centre-backs.

Proper centre-back remains the priority

As far as Barcelona are concerned, the ideal target for January remains that of a natural centre-back. Several names have been discussed, covering a wide range of options.

These include experienced players such as Nicolas Otamendi of Benfica and Stefan de Vrij of Inter Milan, as well as younger options like Luka Vuskovic of Hamburger SV.

The player whose profile has been viewed most favourably is Nathan Ake. At 30, he is a regular substitute at Manchester City and is looking to leave in January in search of more minutes to secure his place with the Netherlands for the World Cup.