After a season which saw Barcelona live up to their billing of fielding the most potent attack in club football, the time has come for Luis Enrique to focus on other parts of the Barcelona machine. The time has come for reinforcements in the defensive department as Barcelona scour the markets for defenders.
Center back is a crucial point of concern for Barcelona with neither first choice center backs Gerard Pique and Javier Mashcherano getting any younger. Jeremy Mathieu too will need some replacing if not backing up. Barcelona needs players to bolster their defense and the search is truly on
With La Masia product Marc Bartra having been offloaded already and Dani Alves having decided to take on a newer challenge, Barcelona could do with a couple of centre-backs and a right back being added to the ranks. Here’s a look at 5 players Barcelona can buy to bolster their defense overall.
#1 Samuel Umtiti
Samuel Umtiti represents everything that you can come to expect of a top class defender. He’s proactive, excellent at challenging for the ball, clever with possession, can dribble with the ball at his feet and above all he is an excellent organizer at the back. Having risen through the youth ranks at Olympique Lyon, Umtiti has also represented the senior side over 120 times in the last five years.
He has also represented the French youth teams from the U-17s straight through to the U-21s and was called up to the squad for Euro 2016 after an injury to Jeremy Mathieu.
The French defender is an ideal match for a team like Barcelona and is young enough to further explore his potential under the guidance of Luis Enrique and a team of world-class players considering he is only 22 years old. In light of Lyon president Jean-Michel Aulas’ admission as to interest in Umtiti from Barcelona, one can see the sensibility in signing him.
He’d come for a relatively lesser price than some of the other top center backs in the market and his experience in the Champions League at such a young age will only prove beneficial. He’d also improve the Barcelona defense if he keeps growing his footballing acumen over time and might prove to be a fantastic successor for either Pique or Mashcerano when the time comes.
#2 Hector Bellerin
The La Masia product is finally coming of age as he has just spent a season cementing his place as Arsenal’s preferred full back. His sensational displays at right back have resulted in a call-up into the National Setup and have made several of Europe’s elite clubs take notice of the player’s prowess.
The Catalan side may want to look to Arsenal to facilitate his return as they did with Cesc Fabregas before. The ideal candidate to replace Dani Alves according to many out there, Bellerin has the ability to maraud forward with panache and hold defensive forte with ease as well. At just 21 years of age, it would seem he is yet to climb to his full potential and that is what makes him such an interesting prospect.
The decision makers at Camp Nou will probably have him high up on their list of preferred targets this summer but with Arsenal extremely reluctant to sell, any move would depend on almost completely on Hector himself. The Spanish defender may well need to agitate for a move with Barcelona having to stump up a sufficient amount of cash to get the Spanish International to return to the Camp Nou.
#3 Shkodran Mustafi
The full German International center back has taken some time to come of age but it seems he has finally found his place alongside some of the better center backs of his generation. Mustafi is a solid center back with an intrinsic sense of comfort on the ball. He uses his ability to read a game to give him a point of advantage against his opponent.
Not necessarily a combative defender, he relies less on physical pace and more on his positioning to make his move in a game. Excellent in one on one situations and very good with distributing the ball, the 24-year-old would seem to be a good fit at a club like Barcelona. Having played a really good season at Valencia, replacing the impact of his once partner Nicolas Otamendi who’d left for greener pastures in the summer, Mustafi could find himself out the door this season.
That is not to say, Valencia will let him go without a fight. With the new billionaire backing of the Spanish club, Valencia will demand a very high fee to allow Shkodran to leave. However, should Barcelona be willing, he’d be a good acquisition for the Spanish side.
#4 Kostas Manolas
Kostas Manolas has been a name on most lips when it has come to matters of purchasing a new quality center back in the summer. In fact, he has been most impressive every since he decided to move from his resident Greece to the Serie A with Roma. Having become the mainstay of the Roman defense, Kostas Manolas is a specimen of a defender. Physically strong, quick and capable of completely silencing explosive forwards on his day, you get to feel that Manolas has outgrown the surroundings that have nurtured him.
Indeed, it is believed Jose Mourinho believes he is the answer to Manchester United’s woes at the back and Antonio Conte is believed to be an admirer as well. As for Barcelona, he would be a fantastic replacement for the ageing Javier Mascherano who may not be at the Camp Nou for long. It would make sense to buy Manolas this summer to give him a season to ease into life at Barcelona while learning more from all those around him in training.
As good as he is, Manolas would not come cheap. The prices being touted make it impossible for most clubs to purchase his services but Barcelona are not one of those clubs. Should they want to address their issues at center back with a quality buy, Manolas is their man.
#5 Alessio Romagnoli
Alessio Romagnoli arrived at Milan with a reputation that was nowhere nearly as burgeoning as his price tag. The Italy U21 international is yet to make his debut for his national team but has somehow still demanded a fee in the region of 25 million Euros and made his move across two big clubs in Italy. Romagnoli was considered one of the best defensive prospects of Italy when he made the move.
A year has gone by and he is yet to be called up for his national side but he still seems to be commanding some attention while he plies his trade for the Milanese club. Alessio has matured into a defensive leader in his time at Milan. Milan’s current team quality notwithstanding, Romagnoli has been a major force in the defensive line-up for Milan as he’s matured into a leader capable of leading the line.
Some of his performances have been commanding and he has impressed widely during his time here. It is believed he may do well to move to a bigger club now and Barcelona have expressed something of an interest if rumors are to be believed.
He won’t come cheap considering Roma were smart enough to insert a sell on clause when they sold him, which would mean Barcelona would need to cough up the cash. However, with the potential on offer and the maturity and leadership Barcelona so desire in their next defender, Romagnoli could be worth every penny.
