An unexpected surprise might be awaiting a Barcelona defender at the end of the season | OneFootball

Despite having several options up his sleeve, Hansi Flick has maintained the duo of Pau Cubarsi and Inigo Martinez as the starting centre-back pairing for his team this season at FC Barcelona.

Other defenders like Ronald Araujo and Eric Garcia have also been playing regularly this season, but neither of them is a starter.

Meanwhile, Andreas Christensen has spent the entire season on the sidelines with various injuries and is still recovering from one such injury.

Keeping in view the tough competition for minutes in the centre-back position, the Dane defender was linked with a move away from the Blaugrana club back in January. However, he suffered an injury, that ruled out his move for the time being.

However, his future at the Catalan club is still far from certain, as Barcelona need to make some sales in the upcoming summer transfer window to be able to bring in new players ahead of the next season.

Not being one of the key parts of Hansi Flick’s squad, the Blaugrana club will be prioritising his sale next season. However, to get a suitor, he will have to get minutes on the pitch in the coming few weeks.

According to SPORT, in case there are no such suitors coming up with a good offer for the Danish defender, the Catalans will extend his contract, which currently ends in 2026, for another year to strengthen their position in the market.

Opportunities can still open up for the Dane to play in the upcoming stretch of matches, especially as Marc Casado is injured and he can get some minutes playing in the midfield, even though Frenkie de Jong and Eric Garcia will also be available for Hansi Flick to play in this position.

Despite his year spent in the infirmary, Barcelona understand that Christensen still has a good standing in the market, and will not allow him to leave for cheap. Thus, they would rather extend his contract than sell him to a low-bidding side, while sending him on a loan next summer to help him regain his fitness and form is also a consideration in the Blaugrana club’s mind.

The defender himself wants to help the Catalan club and will agree with whatever decision they take about his future, but for now, both parties are calm and looking to reintroduce Christensen on the pitch before making a final decision in this regard at the end of the season.