Barcelona is analyzing the Italian and English markets to strengthen its defense.

Barcelona is internally assessing the need to go to the market in the winter transfer window to fill the void left by Andreas Christensen. The Danish defender suffered a partial tear of his anterior cruciate ligament and is expected to be out for about four months. According to information from the Spanish newspaper “Mundo Deportivo“ , to facilitate the arrival of a reinforcement, the club plans to use La Liga’s “fair play” rule, which allows 80% of the injured player’s salary to be used to register a new player.

Coach Hansi Flick prioritizes signing a veteran, high-level defender capable of immediate adaptation. The departure of Iñigo Martínez to Saudi Arabia and Ronald Araujo’s injury situation have increased the urgency for experience in that position. Barça’s scouting department has already begun an exhaustive analysis, focusing especially on players who have lost their place at their clubs or whose contracts are expiring.

In the Italian market, three names have emerged as options being considered by the Catalan club. The experienced Stefan de Vrij (Inter Milan) is viewed favorably, especially due to the player’s desire for more playing time to secure a place in the World Cup squad. Other alternatives in Serie A include Belgian Koni De Winter (Milan), who has seen limited playing time, and Brazilian Juan Jesus (Napoli), whose contract expires in June and who is not a priority for Antonio Conte.

In the Bundesliga and the Premier League, Barcelona is also monitoring strategic targets. Nathan Aké, from Manchester City, fits the profile of a left-footed and versatile defender, although the Champions League rivalry could complicate his release. In Germany, the standout is the young Luka Vuskovic, 18, who belongs to Tottenham and shines on loan at Hamburg. Although he is not the veteran sought by Flick, his high potential keeps him on their radar.

The decision on which player will receive an official offer should be made in the first days of January. The club has already started preliminary talks with the representatives of Marcos Senesi (Bournemouth), but the difficulty of securing his immediate release keeps other options open. The goal is to ensure that the new defender is integrated into the squad before the transfer window closes on February 2nd, to strengthen the team in European and domestic competitions.