Barcelona could part ways with more than one defender if 28-year-old center-back arrives | OneFootball

FC Barcelona, in recent seasons, have heavily relied on the free-agent market due to their financial struggles. Leveraging the club’s natural allure and prestige, they have successfully convinced several high-profile players to join without transfer fees.

Notable arrivals on free transfers include Éric García, Andreas Christensen, Iñigo Martínez, Franck Kessié, and İlkay Gündoğan, each with varying degrees of impact. While some have contributed significantly on the pitch, others, such as Kessié, have provided financial benefits through subsequent sales.

Recently, reports have increasingly suggested that Barcelona are poised to secure the signing of Jonathan Tah from Bayer Leverkusen on a free transfer ahead of next season. The German defender has reportedly made up his mind to leave the Bundesliga club upon the expiration of his contract

Now, as per Diario AS, Barcelona might be willing to let go of at least two of the central defenders in the current squad to make room for the arrival of Tah. As of now, the only two players in the position who are considered untouchable are Pau Cubarsí and Iñigo Martínez.

Photo Credit: The Official Website of FC Barcelona

Ideally, the club would also prefer to have club captain Ronald Araújo continue but his contract expires in 2026 and he is yet to put pen to paper on a new contract. Should the Uruguayan refuse to sign a new deal, he could be put up for sale.

The two names who are most likely to be on the exit ramp at the club are Eric Garcia and Andreas Christensen. The former has featured sparingly in the first half of the season, mostly in midfield and sometimes in defense.

Andreas Christensen, however, has played just one official game under Hansi Flick, in which he suffered an injury that has kept him out ever since. The Dane is closer than ever to returning and could have an important role to play in the second half.

It remains to be seen how Barcelona handle the situation surrounding Christensen, Eric Garcia, and Araújo. It is an important call for the Catalan club to make and let’s wait and see how it plays out in the months to come.