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Lionel Messi. Luis Suarez. Neymar. Andres Iniesta. That is about as frightening as an attacking force can get. But one look at what lines up behind this attacking force, and one has reason to believe that Luis Enrique will be a worried man at the moment.The defenders in the Barcelona squad areGerard Pique, Marc Bartra, Adriano, JordiAlba, Dani Alves,Martin Montoya andJeremy Mathieu. Byany stretch of imagination, the defence for Barca lacks both quality and quantity.One thing is clear, theyboughta luxury in Suarez, when certain necessities werent being met. And unless these necessities are immediately tended to, the future looks bleak goingby the lofty standards they set for themselves.Heres a look at their current problems and the players theycan target to get rid oftheir defensive frailties?
#1 The current woes
Pique hardly inspired any confidence playing for Spain against Netherlands at the World Cup as that performance led to him being dropped for the remaining two games that they played. Bartra and Montoya have not yet shown signs that they could be world class defenders. Alves, with all due respect to him, has been mediocre for all of last season. Alba has been hampered by injuries, and Adriano is at best, a good utility player.
With such problems, what inevitably happens with is that they take Javier Mascherano away from his favourite position in midfield, and play him at centre-back. Mascherano, with his lack of height, starts with a disadvantage at centre back against strong physical strikers. Also, it means that Mascherano’s tenacity in midfield is lost.
The next three slides will look at possible reinforcements that the Catalans could go after.
#2 Mats Hummels
Hummels was one of the best defenders on show at the World Cup. Although he has pledged his allegiance to Dortmund, a big-money move to Barcelona would tempt the most loyal of players. Hummels is exactly the type of player that Barcelona need. Commanding. Brilliant in the air. And most importantly for Barca perhaps, he has the ability to pick a pass and build an attack from the back.
Hummels was the pillar of the German defense, and led Dortmund admirably last year in the absence of Neven Subotic. What Barca need right now is a leader in defense, and Hummels is exactly that.
He was labeled as the next Beckenbauer by his countrymen. He enhanced that reputation at the 2014 FIFA World Cup. And a move to one of the world’s biggest clubs could be just what catapults Hummels to worldwide superstardom.
#3 Daniel Agger
Agger has seemingly fallen behind Martin Skrtel and Mamadou Sakho in the pecking order at Anfield. Like Hummels, Agger is also comfortable with the ball at his feet, and at his best, as he showed on a few occasions last season, most notably in a friendly between England and Denmark at Wembley, he is a tough nut to crack.
Agger could be just the man for Barcelona and is commanding in both penalty areas and would take to the Barca system like a fish to water.
With Brendan Rodgers now well covered in the central defensive areas, especially with the potential arrival of Dejan Lovren to Liverpool, he may well sanction Agger’s move to allow incoming funds to be used for other potential acquisitions.
#4 Jan Vertonghen
Tottenham and Belgium defender Jan Vertonghen is not a happy camper. According to reports emerging out of England, he has become disenchanted with life at Spurs and now wants a move to a club that can offer Champions League football.
During last season, Vertonghen's pass completion, aerial duel ability and potency in an attacking sense, were all highly competent. It is unlikely that Mauricio Pochettino will let the Belgian leave without a fight. But the centre-back’s desire to play in the Champions League could trump all attempts to keep him at White Hart Lane.
#5 The Verdict
With their current defensive lineup, there is no way Barcelona can entertain thoughts about competing at the highest level on all fronts. Simply put, the current Barcelona defense is just not good enough. Even the addition of Mathieu earlier today does not make the defense look any better.
The likes of Dani Alves and Jordi Alba are currently facing huge dips in form, it puts more pressure on the likes of Sergio Busquets and new signing Ivan Rakitic in midfield to cover for their full backs. Also, with both their goalkeepers Claudio Bravo and Marc Andre ter Stegen having been bought in the current window, it is imperative that Barca's defense stands firm, and in its current state, that looks highly improbable.
