Hansi Flick lays down transfer demands to Barcelona as coach targets three positions Catalan giants need to reinforce

Barcelona’s 3-0 defeat to Chelsea in the Champions League served as a painful reminder of the squad’s limitations. Flick’s team looked disjointed, stretched and far from the level needed to compete with Europe’s elite, the latest in a string of results that exposed long-standing structural issues. It intensified the mood inside the club, where injuries, tactical imbalance and a lack of specialist profiles have derailed momentum. With the Blaugrana sitting behind Real Madrid in La Liga and still needing nine points to secure direct qualification for the Champions League last 16, internal pressure has grown on the sporting leadership to act decisively.

Against this backdrop, Flick held talks with Deco and the committee responsible for squad planning. Together they agreed on three priority areas for next season: A left-footed centre-back, winger and centre-forward, according to Mundo Deportivo.

Of these, the central defender is considered the most urgent. Inigo Martinez’s late departure last summer removed the squad’s only natural left-footed centre-back and forced Pau Cubarsi into uncomfortable adaptations. Flick considers the absence of that profile one of the biggest tactical handicaps this season, especially with the team unable to control the offside line or build from the back as effectively without Martinez.

Barca would like to address this already in January, but the club knows it is unlikely due to Financial Fair Play restrictions and a winter market that rarely offers specialist defenders of the required level. Still, the shortlist is clear: Goncalo Inacio, Jeison Murillo, Nico Schlotterbeck, Luis Benedetti and Marc Guehi - who becomes a free agent in June. The other areas will wait for summer, but Flick has made it clear that the spine of the squad needs strengthening if Barcelona are to compete again at the highest level.

This transfer plan underlines a broader truth about the Catalan giants' current project: Without structural reinforcements, the team cannot sustain the level required to challenge Real Madrid, Paris Saint-Germain, Bayern Munich or Premier League opposition. The centre-back situation is the most pressing, and both Flick and Deco agree that a natural left-footer is irreplaceable. Reports show Alessandro Bastoni and Schlotterbeck as the two ideal fits, with the Dortmund defender seen as more financially accessible due to a release clause of around €60 million. Bastoni would require complex negotiations with Inter.

But Barca’s issues extend beyond defence. With Robert Lewandowski in the final year of his contract, and due to turn 38, the club knows a new striker must arrive. Julian Alvarez is admired internally, though Manchester City and Atletico Madrid’s positions complicate any pursuit. Harry Kane’s €65 million release clause also makes him a realistic option, while the club continues to explore alternatives such as Serhou Guirassy and Etta Eyong.

A winger is also on the agenda, particularly a versatile profile who can play on both flanks. An option to buy Marcus Rashford for €30m exists should Manchester United make him available in the summer, but Barcelona will reassess his season before deciding. 

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Barcelona’s leadership believes the dip in form from players expected to be key, such as Dani Olmo, Jules Kounde, Cubarsi and Lamine Yamal is partly due to an unbalanced squad and over-reliance on youngsters. The project’s success cannot depend solely on youth players handling elite demands every week.

Financial Fair Play continues to complicate the club’s flexibility, but president Joan Laporta and Deco view next summer as non-negotiable. Major investment is expected, with the board aware that delaying another season would risk falling even further behind Europe’s biggest clubs.

The club's immediate focus remains on closing the gap in La Liga and securing Champions League progression, but much of the club’s planning has already shifted to 2026. Flick, Deco and Laporta are aligned on the need for three signings that reshape the defence, restore attacking threat and add depth in wide areas.

All eyes will now be on January’s possibilities, however slim, and the decisive summer window that follows. Barca know the stakes: without a bold rebuild, the project risks stagnation. With the right additions, however, Flick believes the team can return to Europe’s elite far sooner than expected.