Barcelona eyeing a move for a young defender with great future in January | OneFootball

Barcelona are facing a major dilemma heading into the January transfer window.

Although signing a new player in the middle of the season was not something the club had planned, the recent injury of Andreas Christensen has compounded the problems for Hansi Flick.

As a result, the club could be tempted to make a move for a new defender in January, as they look to beef up their options at the back.

What kind of players are Barcelona looking for?

According to Matteo Moretto on Radio MARCA, Barcelona are indeed looking for a new central defender in the winter transfer window.

However, the club are not just looking for any centre-back. They ideally want to sign a young defender who has a great future ahead of him.

This directly contradicts earlier reports that suggested Barça might be looking for a short-term solution while preferring to wait until the summer to pursue their main targets.

Barcelona are looking for a replacement for Christensen. (Photo by Stu Forster/Getty Images)

However, it is entirely possible the club could look to loan a young and talented defender, with the buyout clause added in the contract.

The Catalans have been heavily linked with a move for Marcos Senesi. But the club would ideally wait for the Argentine to run down his contract in the summer, when he becomes a free agent.

Barcelona, meanwhile, are also keeping tabs on young Cameroonian centre-back Samuel Kotto, especially after an impressive national team debut at the Africa Cup of Nations.

Both players are young with a lot of potential, thus matching Barcelona’s criteria. However, they are unlikely to be available in the winter transfer window.

That is perhaps why someone like Nathan Ake, who has been offered to Barça, could be a good short-term option. The Dutchman has struggled with game time at Manchester City this season, and there is a possibility the English club might look to loan him in January.

These are still early days, and more options may soon appear on the radar of Barcelona as they hunt for a new centre-back.