Barcelona Director of Football Deco set final transfer mission for August | OneFootball

Barcelona manager Hansi Flick has been forced to readjust his plans in the final week before their La Liga debut, following the departure of defensive lynchpin Inigo Martinez. The Basque defender terminated his deal with the Catalan giants before completing a move to Saudi Arabia to join Cristiano Ronaldo at Al-Nassr.

It was a loss that hit Flick hard, with Martinez providing a general-like presence in his backline, and often setting the line for their much-vaunted offside trap. However with the 34-year-old frees up some room in Barcelona’s salary limit, as they look to register Marcus Rashford and Joan Garcia, although President Joan Laporta has added to doubts about their ability to do so before the start of La Liga.

Barcelona could make one final move for defender

Although it is not predicted that they will make a move for an establish Inigo Martinez replacement, Sport say it is not completely off the table that they do bring in a defender. First and foremost, the registrations of Garcia, Rashford, and new contracts for Gerard Martin, Marc Bernal and Wojciech Szczesny.

Image via AFP7/Europa Press

They say youngster Roony Bardghji, who arrived from Copenhagen, will likely be registered as a Barca Atletic player for the time being. Sport explain that Director of Football Deco is now browsing the market to see if a player under the age of 23 could come and be registered with Barca Atletic too, with a chance to play for the senior side too. Since, MD have confirmed that Deco will speak with Flick about a new addition.

Barcelona options at centre-back

They say the most likely scenario is that nothing happens, but that Flick would like an extra option at the back. Currently Flick has Ronald Araujo, Andreas Christensen, Pau Cubarsi and Eric Garcia as options at centre-back, but both Garcia and Jules Kounde are slated to play at right-back for the most part.

Araujo and Christensen have both been injury-prone over the last year or two, hence perhaps the use of left-back Gerard Martin in preseason. Sergi Dominguez, the Barca Atletic centre-back most called on last season, has been sold, while Andres Cuenca and Alexis Olmedo are the most obvious names to step up.