Barcelona were expected to have a quiet January transfer window but those plans may have changed after center-back Andreas Christensen was ruled out for several months with an ACL injury.
“I’ll talk to Deco,” was the message from Hansi Flick
about the situation, meaning the rumor mill has been quick to churn out a host of names who could work as potential short-term options for the Catalans in January.If Chrisensen’s injury is deemed to be long-term by La Liga’s independent medical panel, then Barca
will be able to replace the Dane’s registration on their wage bill with a new signing, as long as their salary counts for less than 80 per cent of the injured defender’s.
Let’s look at some possible options for Barca in January…
Disasi or Ake?
Diario Sport claim that Barcelona have already been offered a couple of options. Chelsea outcast Axel Disasi is mentioned as a possibility as the defender is eager for minutes. Disasi is currently part of Chelsea’s infamous ‘bomb squad’ but spent last season out on loan at Aston Villa.
The only thing is that Disasi can’t actually leave on loan this January. According to Fabrizio Romano, the Blues have already used all their extra UK spots for loans this season, further complicating his future.
Manchester City’s Nathan Ake is also mentioned by Sport. The Dutch star has slipped down the pecking order at the Premier League side and could move in a bid to boost his World Cup hopes. A versatile left-footer, he’s also thought to have offers from Premier League clubs.
Senesi, Otamendi or De Vrij?
Over at Mundo Deportivo, a host of names have been mentioned as possible options. Bournemouth star Marcos Senesi’s name keeps popping up in gossip columns as he’s expected to leave the Cherries. Barcelona have been linked, as well as Atletico, and Bournemouth could sell in January to avoid losing him for free in the summer.
MD also highlight 37-year-old Nicolas Otamendi and 33-year-old Stefan de Vrij as possible options for Barcelona. Otamendi is still going strong at Benfica and currently captains the side, while De Vrij looks to be heading out of Inter as he’s not featuring too much and is coming towards the end of his contract.
And the rest
The rumor mill has also churned out a host of other possibilities, claiming Rayo Vallecano’s Luiz Felipe, Diego Llorente at Real Betis, and Villarreal’s Juan Foyth (yep, that old rumor again) are also potential targets for the Catalan giants. Expect plenty more names to crop up over the next few days and weeks as the January transfer window clicks into gear.
Should Barcelona make an emergency defensive signing in January and who would you go for? Let us know in the comments below!
