Barcelona, Bayern Munich closely monitoring 21-year-old centre-back impressing in Italy | OneFootball

It is no secret that Barcelona are eyeing defensive reinforcements in this ongoing January transfer window, as the club eye a replacement for the injured Andreas Christensen.

Although the Catalans have recently been handed the opportunity to re-sign right-back Joao Cancelo, the team is more interested in signing a centre-back.

That is where Tiago Gabriel has emerged as a potential target for the Blaugrana, as they continue their search for a Christensen replacement, reports Santi Aouna.

Who is Tiago Gabriel?

A centre-back by trade, Tiago Gabriel is a product of the Sporting CP youth academy who is currently plying his trade for Serie A outfit Lecce.

Standing at 1.96m, Tiago has been an ever-present figure in the Lecce defensive line, impressing onlookers with his ability in the air.

His physical build also lets him dominate attackers both physically and aerially, making him a daunting presence for the attackers.

Tiago Gabriel has emerged as a top target for Barcelona, but Lecce not open to a January sale. (Photo by Maurizio Lagana/Getty Images)

This is perhaps the reason why Tiago is already attracting interest from big clubs, with Barcelona and Bayern Munich both interested in his services.

However, the report adds that Lecce are not too interested in giving up Tiago in the ongoing January transfer window.

The Portuguese centre-back is considered one of the pillars of the team and the club will not consider any offers unless a proposal is too good to refuse.

Given that Tiago already commands a market value of €15 million as per Transfermarkt and has a contract until 2027, it is unlikely Barcelona will be able to make a move for the Lecce star in this January transfer window.