Barcelona director Deco likes 20-year-old Premier League defender | OneFootball

FC Barcelona find themselves in a tricky position as far as their defensive unit is concerned, with Ronald Araujo taking a leave of absence and now Andreas Christensen getting sidelined with a serious injury.

With Hansi Flick using Eric Garcia more and more in midfield, as well as cover at right-back, there appears to be a shortage of options at the heart of the defence, and the manager is hopeful of signing a reinforcement in January.

While a major signing might not be possible, Barça sporting director Deco is exploring the market for potential options to reinforce their defence in the winter.

Deco likes Jair Cunha of Nottingham Forest

Now, according to SPORT, Barcelona director is an admirer of 20-year-old Brazilian defender Jair Cunha, who plays for Nottingham Forest in the Premier League.

The former Portuguese international, who is already tracking another Nottingham Forest player in Murillo, also likes Jair.

In fact, as per the report, Deco already tried to sign Jair to Barça Atletic in 2023 when the Brazilian youngster was still plying his trade for the Santos U20 team. However, an untimely injury put an end to those plans.

Jair Cunha has barely played for Nottingham Forest. (Photo by Angel Martinez/Getty Images)

Cunha moved to Nottingham Forest last summer from Botafogo, but has found minutes hard to come by, playing only two senior games for the English team, with his last appearance coming in October.

Most recently, the 20-year-old defender played for the club’s U21 outfit in the Premier League Cup.

Barcelona move unlikely

Given the situation, Jair will be looking for a change of scenery during this transfer window. However, a move to Barcelona appears out of the question despite Deco’s admiration.

After all, the Catalans are looking for a player who can come in and deliver immediate results, something that would not be possible considering the youngster’s current situation at Nottingham Forest.

Instead, Jair’s future points to a return to Brazil, where he is highly regarded. He is one of the targets of Flamengo, who are looking to rejuvenate their defence.