Barcelona's 4-2 defeat to Paris Saint-Germain in the Champions League has reopened the file on defensive reinforcements. The game exposed clear gaps in the back line, and the board are now rethinking their decision not to sign a new defender last summer. A move in January is looking increasingly likely.
Catalan newspaper "Sport" report that Barcelona have begun discussing the possibility of signing an experienced defender in the winter mercato, whether at centre-back or full-back. It has become clear that attacking strength alone is not enough to compete with Europe's elite.
The team shipped four goals against Paris Saint-Germain, and the damage could have been double but for Joan Garcia. The goalkeeper kept Barcelona's hopes alive during long stretches of the match.
Space on both flanks, together with positioning errors in the centre-back area, caused the team real trouble. That revived doubts over whether the current personnel can cope with the big nights.
Bastoni was a target in the summer
According to Sport, reinforcing the defence was already on the table in the summer window, when Deco's sporting management moved to explore signing top-class defenders. Italian Alessandro Bastoni was the most prominent name under consideration.
Hansi Flick opposed the deal. He preferred to give the players already at the club a chance to prove themselves, and he believed Pau Cubarsi and Gerard Martin could form a suitable partnership at centre-back.
Barcelona were also linked with Aymeric Laporte, but the club ultimately turned towards investing in the front line, betting on attacking power capable of settling matches.
The full-back crisis increases the pressure
Barcelona could not carry out their plan to change the full-backs. Attempts to open the door to the departure of Jules Kounde or Alejandro Balde, or both, failed, and that disrupted any chance of signing replacements.
Instead, the club brought back Joao Cancelo and handed a chance to Xavi Espart. Cancelo does not provide the defensive guarantees required, while the left-back position still worries the technical staff.
Injuries complicated things further. Flick lost Eric Garcia and Kounde, and the problems coincided with Andreas Christensen's ongoing physical issues.
The German coach rates Eric Garcia highly and sees him as an important figure in organising the back line, whether at full-back or centre-back. Pau Cubarsi, meanwhile, remains the most reliable defender at the club.
The wage bill threatens Barcelona's plans
Despite the growing need to reinforce the defence, Barcelona face a financial obstacle: a limited wage margin. That may force them to sell one of their full-backs before completing any new deal.
Balde returned against Paris after a long absence, but he lacked rhythm. Kounde's standing has declined, and he is now in danger of losing his starting place.
Options exist in the market, whether at full-back or centre-back, but any deal will remain tied to the club's finances and their ability to make room on the wage list.
Flick chose to strengthen the attack in the summer. The defeat to Paris Saint-Germain has handed him a fresh reason to reopen the defensive file, and all eyes are now on whether Barcelona actually move in January to correct the gaps the European test laid bare.