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According to Marca, Barcelona are considering signing a long-term replacement for veteran defender Gerard Pique.
The Spaniard suffered a knee injury in Barcelona's 1-0 defeat at the hands of Atletico Madrid over the weekend.
Gerard Pique was a product of Barcelona's La Masia youth academy but left to join the Manchester United academy in 2004, where he remained for four years. The defender made just 12 appearances for the Red Devils before rejoining Barcelona in 2008, after failing to adjust to the English game.
During his twelve years at Barcelona, Gerard Pique has helped the club win eight La Liga titles, six Copa Del Reys, six Supercopa de Espana, and three Champions League titles.
The 33-year-old has established himself as one of the best defenders in the world during his time with the Catalan giants. However, he has come in for much criticism in recent seasons, with many pundits and fans believing that his best days are behind him.
Having said that, Gerard Pique remains one of Barcelona's most important players.
Barcelona will be desperate to sign a defender in January after Gerard Pique suffers knee injury
Gerard Pique looks set to be sidelined for several months after suffering a knee injury in Barcelona's 1-0 away defeat at Atletico Madrid on Saturday. As a result, Marca has suggested that Barcelona will likely dip into the winter transfer window to find a new center-back.
Ronald Koeman is facing a defensive injury crisis at Barcelona, with many of his senior center-halves ruled out of action for the foreseeable future. The Dutch manager will be counting down the days to the January transfer window so that he can sign a temporary or permanent solution to solve his defensive woes.
Barcelona are currently at 12th place in the La Liga table, having registered just 11 points in their opening eight games. The alarm bells are ringing at the Camp Nou, with many suggesting that Ronald Koeman's job could be on the line if results do not improve.
Barcelona will be hoping that Gerard Pique returns as soon as possible but will still look to sign a top-quality center-back in the winter. However, if the Catalan giants manage to sign a defender in January, it could lead to the potential exit of the veteran.
Gerard Pique could follow the steps of Xavi and Andres Iniesta in leaving Barcelona for new pastures as he enters the final stages of his career.
