Barcelona needs an experienced centre-back to partner Pau Cubarsí and strengthen Hansi Flick’s high defensive line. With Íñigo Martínez gone and Ronald Araújo on loan, the club’s options are limited, making defenders such as Laporte, Bastoni, Lisandro Martínez, Lukeba and Natan potential solutions.
It has been more than a year since Íñigo Martínez left Barcelona for Al Nassr, but his departure has clearly left a void in the club’s defensive structure.
The experienced left-footed centre-back brought intelligence, composure and leadership to the back line, qualities Barcelona have struggled to replace since his exit. With Ronald Araújo now on loan at Liverpool, Hansi Flick’s natural options at centre-back have become even more limited.
Pau Cubarsí, however, has already established himself as the obvious cornerstone of Barcelona’s defence. The teenager has been remarkably consistent for the club and followed that up with a monstrous World Cup campaign with Spain, earning the Young Player of the Tournament award while helping his country lift the trophy.
Spain conceded just once across their eight matches, underlining the teenager’s defensive impact on the biggest stage. Performances against some of the world’s elite attackers, such as Mbappé, Ronaldo, and Messi, further cemented Cubarsí’s status as a guaranteed starter.
But Cubarsí’s emergence does not eliminate Barcelona’s need for an experienced centre-back. If anything, it makes finding the right partner even more important.
The teenager has the quality to become the long-term leader of the defence. Still, Barcelona needs someone beside him who can share the responsibility, provide composure under pressure and help him navigate the biggest games.
The need for such a player is even greater because of the demands of Flick’s system. Barcelona’s high defensive line was repeatedly exposed last season, particularly against teams that were comfortable sitting deep before attacking the space behind the defence on the counter.
Any new centre-back must therefore possess the pace, anticipation, positioning and intelligence required to defend large spaces without leaving the team vulnerable.
Barcelona do not simply need another defender. They need an intelligent and experienced centre-back who can survive Flick’s high line, neutralise counter-attacking teams and give Cubarsí the ideal partner to build the next generation of Barcelona’s defence around.
Barcelona’s Current Options
Barcelona have internal solutions at centre-back, but none fully address the club’s need for an experienced, natural defender.
Eric García is the most likely partner for Pau Cubarsí, although his versatility has often seen Flick use him at right-back or in midfield when injuries have limited his options.
Gerard Martín has also earned Flick’s trust after an impressive season, but his natural position remains left-back, meaning a permanent switch to centre-back would be another adaptation.
Andreas Christensen offers the ideal combination of experience, intelligence and Champions League pedigree, but his fitness record makes it difficult to view him as a dependable long-term solution. Álvaro Cortés, meanwhile, is perhaps the most exciting La Masia option.
The 17-year-old is the only natural left-footed centre-back among Barcelona’s current options, but relying on him against elite opposition, particularly in Europe, would still be a significant gamble.
The Transfer Market Is Getting Smaller
Barcelona’s problem becomes even more apparent when looking beyond the squad. Several defenders who could have fit the club’s requirements are already becoming unavailable.
Micky van de Ven and Nico Schlotterbeck have committed their futures to their respective clubs, while Cristian Romero is also no longer an option, with Atlético Madrid having acquired the Argentine centre-back.
He will join several fellow Argentinians at the club and work under compatriot Diego Simeone, further strengthening his connection with his new surroundings.
That leaves Barcelona with a much smaller pool of realistic targets. Flick’s preference for a left-footed centre-back narrows the search further, especially given the number of right-footed defenders already available to him.
Barcelona therefore faces a choice: trust an internal option, compromise on the profile they want, or make a move for an experienced defender who can immediately complement Cubarsí and provide the defensive leadership the squad currently lacks.
With the market narrowing, five potential alternatives now stand out.
1) Aymeric Laporte
Laporte would represent a very different kind of signing. At 32, he would not be a long-term solution, but that may not be what Barcelona need.
The Spaniard remains an intelligent, technically gifted left-footed centre-back and showed at the World Cup that he can still perform at the highest level. His positioning and reading of the game could help compensate for the lack of recovery pace that comes with age.
He also brings years of experience in Spain and could potentially form an excellent partnership with Cubarsí.
There is an interesting parallel with Íñigo Martínez. Barcelona knows how valuable an experienced Basque left-footed centre-back can be alongside a younger defender. Laporte could provide a similar balance, even if only for a few seasons.
2) Alessandro Bastoni
The Italian would arguably be the dream signing. The Inter defender is one of Europe’s best left-footed centre-backs and possesses the passing range to add another dimension to Barcelona’s build-up.
His diagonal switches and long balls can bypass pressure immediately, while his physical presence and height, around 6’3″, would give Barcelona a greater aerial threat.
He is not the quickest defender on this list, which could be important when considering Flick’s high line. But his positioning, anticipation and ability to read developing attacks allow him to compensate in other ways.
The difficulty is obvious: Bastoni would be extremely expensive, and Inter would have little reason to make negotiations easy.
3) Lisandro Martínez
A more surprising option could be Lisandro Martínez.
The 28-year-old Argentina international is left-footed, aggressive, technically secure and a 2022 World Cup winner. His ability to defend aggressively while stepping into midfield and playing through pressure makes him an interesting tactical fit for Flick.
Martínez’s reading of the game could also help Barcelona against counter-attacking sides. Rather than relying entirely on recovery speed, he can anticipate danger and attack the ball early.
His Manchester United contract runs until 2027. If he does not renew, Barcelona could potentially test the waters. United may eventually prefer selling him for a reasonable fee rather than risk losing him for nothing the following summer.
4) Castello Lukeba
An underrated centre-back who should be on Deco’s radar is Castello Lukeba, the 23-year-old French defender at RB Leipzig. Left-footed and valued at around €50 million, Lukeba offers a combination of youth, Bundesliga experience and defensive maturity that could make him an intriguing option for Barcelona.
Lukeba has developed into a reliable presence in the Bundesliga, combining composure in possession with an increasingly mature defensive game. His numbers suggest a defender who is comfortable stepping out to challenge attackers, reading passing lanes and holding his own when exposed in space.
That last quality could be particularly valuable for Flick, whose high defensive line demands centre-backs capable of defending large spaces behind them. At 23, Lukeba would also represent a long-term investment rather than another short-term solution.
5) Natan
Another left-footed option is Natan, the 25-year-old Brazilian centre-back at Real Betis.
Compared with Lukeba, who offers greater athleticism and a more proactive approach to defending space, Natan is a more physical and no-nonsense defender who prioritises winning duels and dealing with danger efficiently. His defensive numbers are also competitive with Lukeba’s, with the Brazilian particularly standing out for his ability to clear danger, while Lukeba holds a slight edge in some of the more proactive defensive metrics.
His familiarity with La Liga should also make the transition to Barcelona relatively straightforward.
While Lukeba would not come cheap given his age, profile and €50 million market value, Natan could be a considerably more affordable alternative with his market value being around €28 million, making him an attractive option for Barcelona if they want a left-footed centre-back without committing a huge portion of their transfer budget.
Barcelona Need the Right Experience
Barcelona do not simply need another centre-back. They need the right balance of youth, experience and intelligence.
Cubarsí can become the defensive leader of the future. Cortés could eventually become another important option. But Flick needs someone now who can organise the back line, defend large spaces and remain composed when opponents turn possession into a counter-attack. That is what Íñigo Martínez provided.
The solution does not necessarily have to be the most expensive defender available. It has to be someone capable of understanding the demands of Flick’s system, defending a high line and giving Cubarsí the freedom to continue developing without carrying the entire defence.
Barcelona needs a centre-back who can defend the space behind them as well as the space in front of them.
