Nico Schlotterbeck headlines three-man Barcelona transfer shortlist for January | OneFootball

Barcelona are likely to explore the market when the winter transfer window opens in January, with reinforcements needed for Hansi Flick. In particular, there is a need for another central defender, a position which the club failed to address in the summer.

Barcelona chose not to replace Inigo Martinez or Ronald Araujo upon their departures in 2025 and 2026 respectively, with club officials feeling that Flick had enough with Pau Cubarsi, Gerard Martin and Andreas Christensen as frontline options, supported by Eric Garcia and Jules Kounde. However, this stance has already changed since the summer, and it is the German head coach that is pushing hard for a new face to join his squad.

A left-sided profile will be prioritised, and this has led Flick to inform sporting director Deco of his three preferred options. As per El Nacional, Borussia Dortmund and Germany star Nico Schlotterbeck is at the top of the list, closely followed by Aymeric Laporte and Castello Lukeba.

Barcelona considered Laporta, Lukeba in the summer

Flick considers Schlotterbeck to be the best fit for his system, which is why he has asked Barcelona to prioritise a move for the Dortmund man. He is a new addition to the club’s list of targets, given that Laporte and Lukeba were both options that were considered in the summer, although no serious move was made at that time.

It’s clear that Barcelona need another central defender in the door at the earliest opportunity. Cubarsi is a standout, but neither Martin nor Christensen are good enough to be regular starters for a team that has strong aspirations to win the Champions League, which is the club’s ultimate goal for the 2026-27 campaign. Thus, a move is necessary in January, and it will be interesting to see who ends up in the door at the Spotify Camp Nou.