Barcelona set clear conditions for defensive summer signing | OneFootball

Now that they are back within La Liga’s 1:1 rule, Barcelona are hoping to have a busy summer transfer window. They have already signed Anthony Gordon, and while they hope Julian Alvarez and Joao Cancelo will follow, they have seemingly discarded the option of a new centre-back, which is a surprise given their defensive struggles in the Champions League last season.

Barcelona felt Inigo Martinez’s absence greatly during their run to the quarter-finals, where they were knocked out by Atletico Madrid. During the season, it was reported that they would try for a new central defender in the summer, but since Hansi Flick ruled out Alessandro Bastoni due to concerns over his ability to fit into his plans, the trail has gone cold.

Now, The Athletic are reporting that a signing will not be made unless a big-money exit happens. Right now, the clear priorities are bringing in Alvarez and Cancelo, and given that those deals would take Barcelona’s spending over the €200m mark, it’s been decided that no one else will arrive until they bring significant funds in.

Will Barcelona regret not signing a new centre-back?

In La Liga, Barcelona were generally good in a defensive sense, as was shown by Joan Garcia winning the Zamora Trophy in his first season at the club. However, the expectation is that they will be better domestically given the strength they have over 90% of the other sides, which is why their Champions League struggles should be considered much more.

Barcelona are crying out for leadership in central defence, which is why it would make sense to pursue a move for reported target Cristian Romero. However, it does not appear that anything will happen until someone, perhaps Jules Kounde or Alejandro Balde, leaves – and even that, the Catalans would need to spend money on replacing them.