Barcelona submit opening offer for teenage World Cup defender | OneFootball

Barcelona have already wrapped up the signing of Anthony Gordon, and they are hoping to have another deal done before the summer transfer window opens next month. Bringing in a new central defender is one of the objectives for sporting director Deco to accomplish, and he has turned his attention to one of the players that will be competing at the 2026 World Cup.

Centre-back is an area that Barcelona must address in the summer. They struggled a lot defensively during their 2025-26 Champions League campaign, failing to keep a clean sheet in any of their matches in the competition. They are still prioritising the signing of a new striker, but defence is an area that Deco has an eye on.

A number of targets have already been established, such as Alessandro Bastoni – whom Hansi Flick has ruled out due to a number of concerns about his ability to fit into his plans. Teenage talent Neil Pierre is one of the players being followed, and according to The Sydney Morning Herald, Barcelona have already moved for another 18-year-old: Lucas Herrington.

The Colorado Rapids defender has impressed throughout the 2026 MLS season, during which he has been a regular starter. His form earned him a call-up to the Australia squad for the 2026 World Cup, and he could make his tournament debut against Türkiye on Sunday.

Barcelona have had opening offer turned down

Image via Tanner Pearson/Clarkson Creative/Getty Images

According to the report, Barcelona have already sent their first bid to Colorado Rapids, but it has been knocked back. It is unclear at this stage how much the Catalans were prepared to pay, but right now, it is not enough for a deal to be done.

If Barcelona manage to sign Herrington, it’ll be interesting to see where he would fit into things. He’s likely too good to be a Barca Atletic regular, so there is every chance that he’d be in Flick’s squad if a move transpires over the summer.