Barcelona's Stance on Signing a New Center-Back

Barcelona continues its efforts in the summer transfer market to bolster its defense, despite the fact that signing a central striker remains a priority for the club's management, according to Spanish newspaper "Sport."

The sporting management, led by Deco, is working on multiple fronts in the final days of the transfer market, with the possibility of signing a new center-back not ruled out. If a significant amount is spent on a striker, such as Lautaro Martínez, the club may look to acquire a young defender or secure a player on loan.

If Barcelona fails to secure a striker, they may allocate a larger portion of their budget towards acquiring a more experienced center-back. Aymeric Laporte is among the top names admired by the club, despite the challenges in negotiating with Athletic Bilbao, who paid around €10 million to bring him back from the Saudi league and offered him a lucrative contract.

Barcelona sees Aymeric Laporte, 32, as the ideal model of the defender they are looking for, thanks to his experience and ability to form a compatible partnership with Pau Torres, providing more stability to the backline. Meanwhile, Deco is working on this matter discreetly.

If securing an experienced defender proves difficult, the option to sign a young player or acquire a defender on loan remains on the table, with the possibility of completing the deal in the final moments of the transfer window to enhance competition across all tournaments, especially the UEFA Champions League.

Barcelona's move also comes in response to Hans Flick's wish for a broad squad that allows for rotation and keeps key players fit. With Jules Koundé, Pau Cubarsi, Gerard Martin, Andreas Christensen, and Álvaro Cortés in defense, Deco continues to explore available options, and the club does not rule out the possibility of another surprise opportunity, similar to the Rodri deal.