Barcelona still open to reaching pre-contract agreement with defender | OneFootball

Barcelona have been unable to sign anyone during the winter transfer window, but plans are already being drawn up for the summer. The club expects to be busy in the market, following their return to La Liga’s 1:1 rule earlier this month.

Sporting director Deco is the person that will be in charge of Barcelona’s transfer business for the summer, and he is currently drawing up plans. He is in agreement with head coach Hansi Flick that a new right-back is needed, but it would be no surprise to be further defenders targeted.

In recent months, Barcelona have been working on a deal for Jonathan Tah, who is out of contract at Bayer Leverkusen at the end of the season. The German central defender is wanted by a whole host of clubs across Europe, but the Catalans have been actively working on an agreement.

Ronald Araujo’s renewal has affected Jonathan Tah’s chances of joining Barcelona (Photo by HAITHAM AL-SHUKAIRI / AFP via Getty Images)

However, Barcelona’s interest in Tah has cooled down in the last couple of weeks, following Ronald Araujo’s decision to U-turn on seeking a departure. The Uruguayan international also committed to a new five-year contract, although there are still chances for him to leave in the summer as his release clause is rather affordable.

Because of this, Barcelona have not officially ruled out signing Tah, as reported by Relevo. Furthermore, Eric Garcia and Andreas Christensen have also been linked with moves away in the summer – to Girona and the Premier League respectively – so it could be that the Leverkusen star is pursued even if Araujo is set on staying until at least 2026.

It will be interesting to follow the defensive situation at Barcelona over the summer. Tah would be a very solid addition, and it would be made better if and Araujo were teammates, rather than the former being the replacement.