FC Barcelona continues to assess its position regarding entering the upcoming January winter transfer market, specifically to strengthen the defense line in the center-back position, without having made a final decision yet.

The club has a period of up to 20 days to activate the long-term absence clause for Danish defender Andreas Christensen, which could allow Barça to sign a new player using 80% of the injured player's salary.

According to the Catalan newspaper "Sport," several names have been presented to Barcelona through agents and intermediaries, the most notable being the Dutchman Nathan Aké (Manchester City) and the Frenchman Axel Disasi (Chelsea).

The newspaper indicated that the club's position is clear: no deal will be made unless the player can provide a genuine technical contribution and create competition within the starting lineup, and under financial conditions that align with the club's financial situation.

The management of the Catalan club does not intend to make summer investments in January, given the difficulty of offloading the currently targeted players and the lack of sufficient margin within the financial fair play rules. Therefore, any potential deal would be a temporary and emergency solution, and may not last beyond June 30.

The source added that Barcelona does not want to rush this matter, believing that a suitable opportunity may arise in the final days of the transfer window. This explains why Christensen's absence has not been addressed yet. The club is also considering internal solutions, most notably repositioning Eric Garcia to play as a center-back and giving more continuity to Marc Bernal in midfield, especially with Gavi's return from injury expected in mid-February.

The source concluded that Hans Flick is closely monitoring Ronald Araújo's physical condition, as he is set to return to training on December 29. The situation of the Uruguayan defender could be a decisive factor in the decision to enter the transfer market or not. The club is aware that any additional injury in the defensive line could put the team in a difficult position, especially with the transfer window closing after February. This is prompting the management to continue analyzing and working during the holiday period in search of the best option.