Barcelona cut 26-year-old Bundesliga centre-back from defensive wishlist – Report | OneFootball

The defensive fragilities of FC Barcelona this season have underlined the need to sign a new centre-back in the upcoming summer transfer window. Deco’s decision not to replace Inigo Martinez has not aged well.

Barcelona desperately need a new central defender, preferably left-footed, who can influence play with the ball at his feet and emerge as a leader of the back line. Nico Schlotterbeck seems to tick all those boxes.

For a few weeks, it seemed the Catalan club was extremely interested in the German defender, but now, according to SPORT, Barcelona have completely ruled out signing the Borussia Dortmund player due to his profile.

Photo by Alex Grimm/Getty Images

The report says Barcelona conducted a detailed analysis of his profile and decided he does not have the speed required to play in Hansi Flick’s high line. The German manager ideally wants someone with a faster recovery pace.

This is understandable given that, with the exception of Ronald Araujo, none of Barcelona’s other options are blessed with pace. Thus, if the club is to spend significantly in the market, they need to target the right profile.

However, Schlotterbeck offers a great deal that could compensate for a lack of pace. How often do you see a centre-back take corners? While that is not a necessity at Barcelona, it underlines his quality on the ball.

Furthermore, the report adds that Barcelona’s current priorities for the summer transfer window are clear. Alessandro Bastoni of Inter Milan is the club’s top choice for the left-sided centre-back role, while Tottenham’s defender Micky Van de Ven is also under consideration. Both operations will require careful negotiation, but Barcelona are determined to target players who can immediately adapt to the style and demands of Hansi Flick’s system.