Injuries have turned Barcelona's defence into one of their biggest headaches this season. Andreas Christensen, Eric García, Jules Koundé and Xavi Espart have all picked up various problems in recent weeks, leaving Hansi Flick with precious few options for his back line. That shortage was laid bare in the two matches against Paris Saint-Germain and Real Madrid.
At the Parc des Princes, Barcelona slipped to their first defeat of the season, going down 4-2 to Saint-Germain in the UEFA Champions League. Then came the Clásico, a 2-1 loss to Real Madrid in La Liga at the Camp Nou.
According to the newspaper "Sport", the situation has once again underlined the need to sign a defender. The club made it no priority last summer, especially once an unexpected chance to sign Rodri emerged, and one name in particular has been on president Joan Laporta's mind for some time.
Xavi Campos and Laia Tudel revealed on the podcast "Barça Reservat" that the Barcelona president has, for months, wanted to sign Pedro Porro, the Tottenham right-back and Spain international.
Laporta was hugely impressed by the player during the World Cup finals, where he watched him closely, and his interest has not faded in the months since. Deco also backs the idea of a move, though getting the deal done will be anything but straightforward for the Catalan club.
Barcelona enquired about the player's situation in the closing stages of the summer window, the newspaper added, but it never went beyond that first contact. Tottenham's demands, which topped 60 million euros, saw to that.
Spurs had tied Porro down before the World Cup finals on a deal running until 2031, with a hefty pay rise that made him one of the club's highest earners. Even so, the full-back remains open to a return to La Liga one day, a possibility that keeps the door ajar for a future deal.
Porro's arrival would bolster the right-back slot, with Koundé seen as an alternative there, and free up Eric García to move back into the heart of the defence.
A report from "Catalunya Ràdio" pours cold water on the timing. It suggests Porro is unlikely to be the club's main target in the winter window, given the financial burden tied to both the fee and his salary.
The programme pointed to comments from club treasurer Ferran Olivé, who explained that any new deal in January must be balanced by the sale of a player to keep it financially viable.
On that basis, the scenario gathering pace is a different one: prioritise a centre-back in the winter window, an affordable deal in the mould of last season's Cancelo signing, and push back any move for Pedro Porro until the summer.