Barcelona reach agreement to sign new central defender | OneFootball

The final 48 hours of the summer transfer window will be very busy for Barcelona, with several ongoing deals to be finalised. They are projected to sign Gabriel Jesus from Arsenal to reinforce their attacking options, and they will also be bringing in someone that could provide defensive depth as the 2026-27 season goes on.

In recent weeks, it’s been widely reported that Barcelona will look to sign a left-sided central defender before the transfer window closes, having reallocated funds after accepting that Julian Alvarez will not arrive from Atletico Madrid. Hansi Flick is one option flight in this department after Ronald Araujo was loaned to Liverpool, although the player that arrives may not be an immediate candidate to start alongside Pau Cubarsi.

Last week, it was reported that Barcelona had opened talks to sign defender Mikael Baza. Flick has already given his backing for the 16-year-old to be brought to the club, and as per Sky Germany’s Florian Plettenburg, an agreement has now been reached with the Bundesliga side Hamburger SV.

Baza will alternate between Barca Atletic and U19s upon arrival

Despite being only 16 years of age, Barcelona believe Baza is ready to be a regular player for their B team. The idea is for him to alternate between Barca Atletic and the U19s, with whom he will play the UEFA Youth League in the coming months.

Barcelona see Baza as a future first team player, although he’s unlikely to make that step up anytime soon. Thus, he would not be an Araujo replacement, which is why it would be no surprise if a more established defensive signing was being worked on by sporting director Deco, although he has less than 48 hours to get everything finalised before the transfer window closes for the second and final time in 2026.