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FC Barcelona for long have been on top of the perch and a big reason behind that have been a solid wall of defenders. With Dani Alves and Eric Abidal as full backs and Carles Puyol and Gerard Pique at the center, it has been one of the top class defense line up. But lately things have not been the same for the Spanish giants. Eric Abidal, who had a liver transplant recently is not likely to return back very soon, also Pique have been out most of the times this season with injuries and bad form and though Carles Puyol have been brilliant even at his age but we can”t expect him to start and finish every game now.
Barcelona who have been linked with many defenders during their build up towards the summer transfer season. Lets have a look at what Barcelona have with them and who are the top players who can be seen at Barça next season.
1. Dani Alves : The Brazilian defender has been time and again ranked as No1 Right Back in the business. With his ability to move forward and help in attacks and his timely defending makes him a complete package. His match fitness is also remarkable and a reason no other player gets to play at his position in Barca. The player has already committed not to leave the club.
2. Martin Montoya: The 21 year old young defender have been brilliant with the chances he got. He was also selected for the Spain National team to play against Chile and Liechtenstein. He spent his youth career at La Masia and is now ready to start for the main team. Pep Guardiola recently said that Montoya is a promising player and that Barcelona won’t have to invest in a Right back in future.
1. Eric Abidal:
The French full back was having a great season until it was decided that he needs a liver transplant. According to doctors post surgery it will be very difficult for him to get back on field and play again but Abidal has previously shown how strong he is.
2. Adriano: Since his transfer from Sevilla to Barça in 2010, he didn’t get many chances mostly because Abidal was first choice for Barça. Abidal’s illness have surely given him a chance again to display how good he is but being good isn’t enough at Barça . Being good with moving ahead and helping the team in attack have led to him making mistakes in defense, also he tends to lose out the ball in one on one situations.
1. Jordi Alba: The former Barcelona youth player name is on the top of the stack at the moment. Presently playing for Valencia, Alba has been in good form for the team this season. Not only in defending, he has been good in going forward as well, something which Barça would look forward to. Being a part of Barça youth training system also gives him an edge above others.
2. Gareth Bale: For past few months he has been quite frequently linked with a transfer to Barça. A defender transformed into a winger, Bale surely is a hot property this summer. Scoring 12 goals and assisting 14 other, he has been in a great form this season. With Barca using a 3-4-3 formation, Bale can be used both as a winger and defender in the team. With a good height, great pace and brilliant dribbling skills he can surely be a good option for Barça.
3. Guilherme Siqueira: The 26 year old Granada player is also seen as an option for Barça . Coming from Brazil, he is not very well known in Europe, moving from Udinese to Granada in 2011 allowed the player to make a name for himself. He also scored a penalty against Barcelona when Granada visited them at Camp Nou. Barça can look at him as an option if they are not looking to spend much money for a Left back.
1. Carles Puyol: The El Capitano has been pillar supporting the Barcelona defence this season. Coming out of injury and proving his critics wrong, he came back strong and played brilliantly this season. No one can ever doubt the skills he have but the question is can he be played in all games, age does have some effect on the body.
2. Gerard Pique: Rated as one of the best Centre-backs in the world, Pique have surely not lived up to that tag this season. It was a bad start to the season with recurring injuries and was followed by bad form later on. He just couldn’t get himself out of his rut. But above that he still remains one of the best in the world and lately showed the signs of returning to his old form. A lot depends on his fitness for the coming season.
3. Javier Mascherano: Since his transfer to Barcelona in 2010, the Argentine have been given a new role in the Barça team by the manager Pep Guardiola. He has come to Barca’s aid whenever they needed a Center back and this season he has been in great form. His well-timed tackles have been a treat to the eyes this season, started majority of games due to unavailability of Pique and Puyol and he grabbed the opportunity with both hands.
Though Barça have top stars but they surely need a permanent solution to the Center back position. They surely have suffered this season due to absence of their stars. The following players can be on Barca’s list this season.
1. Thiago Silva: The Milan Center back is rumoured to be the next signing of Barça , they have shown a lot of interest in him throughout the season. Ranked as the top defender in football by most, Silva is an excellent defender. A defender who have great speed and knows how to time his tackles correctly and perfectly. Being sidelined due to a thigh injury since March, he is expected to return in the last game for Milan. However, the question is whether Barca would be willing to pay a big amount for the star defender?
2. Javi Matinez: The young defender started his career as a defensive midfielder but Bielsa started playing him at Center back , since then he has been a regular face for Athletic at that position. He has been a very aggressive player, not afraid of going forward and at the same time getting back to defend in time. He also captained the Spain U21 team which won the European Championships. With his young age combined with good skills, he can be a good option for Barça.
3. Jan Vertonghen: Jan has emerged as one of the best players for Ajax this year, with his ability to play at various positions, have given his team a lot of options. Because of his brilliant performances he was chosen as Eredivisie player of the year 2011-12. The player though recently said he would like a move to English Premier League.
4. David Luiz: The Chelsea defender have also been linked with Barça lately and its been said that he is interested in a move to the Spanish giants. David, who signed for the Blues in 2011, started very well but in middle lost his way somehow and committing a lot of mistakes at the back. But lately he was able to return to the best of his form, he missed the UEFA Champions League semi finals against Barcelona but is set to return for the finals. If signed by Barca, he surely will be a big addition to the team.
