Camel Live provides Barcelona's transfer situation for a center-back and the future of Crystal Palace center-back Marc Guehi.
Which Positions Will Barcelona Monitor in January?
Before Andreas Christensen’s injury, Barcelona’s plan was not to sign any players in January, but to focus all their efforts on strengthening the squad in the summer transfer window.
However, Christensen is expected to be sidelined for four months, which has changed everything. La Liga regulations stipulate that clubs can replace an injured player’s salary with that of a new signing, provided that the total salary of the new player does not exceed 80% of the injured player’s wage.
To meet this condition, the injury must be classified as a long-term one, which needs to be determined by La Liga’s independent medical panel.
Another center-back, Ronald Araújo, is still unavailable for selection even after being granted indefinite leave by Barcelona. Club sources said that if the Uruguayan international’s absence is prolonged, it may affect Barcelona’s January transfer plans.
Which Players Are They Targeting?
Barcelona have been keeping tabs on several players, although they were regarded as summer targets rather than January options.
Barcelona are among the clubs closely monitoring Marc Guehi, with the goal of signing the England international in the summer transfer window.
Club sources indicated that Barcelona are keeping an eye on the 25-year-old Crystal Palace player. They stated that considering Barcelona’s current tight financial situation, the prospect of signing Guehi on a free transfer could be very appealing, but there are still many variables at present.
Borussia Dortmund’s Nico Schlotterbeck is another name widely reported by local media. The situation of the 26-year-old German international may be more complicated, because even if he does not renew his contract with Dortmund and enters the final 18 months of his contract next January, his transfer fee will still be quite substantial.
Barcelona will also look for a new striker in the summer transfer window. Atlético Madrid’s Argentine international Julián Álvarez is the dream target of the club’s senior management to replace Robert Lewandowski. However, the transfer fee required for any deal is considered prohibitively high.
Club officials also mentioned that they are monitoring Levante’s Karl Etou Eyong. The 22-year-old Cameroonian striker has made 15 La Liga appearances this season, scoring 6 goals.
Which Players Could Be Sold?
The first name that comes to mind is club captain and goalkeeper Marc-André ter Stegen. He is the only player in the Barcelona squad that they are looking to sell, although the situation is very complicated.
This summer, Barcelona signed goalkeeper Joan García from city rivals Espanyol for €25 million, who is regarded as the club’s next-generation No.1 goalkeeper.
In the weeks following ter Stegen’s return from injury, Hansi Flick stated that the 24-year-old García remains his first-choice, and this will not change.
But ter Stegen’s contract with Barcelona runs until 2028, and he has not shown any intention to leave the club. The 33-year-old German international has previously made it clear that even though García is currently ahead of him in the pecking order, he hopes to fight for his place in the team.
It is also recognized that top clubs rarely look for a new starting goalkeeper in the January transfer window, especially one with a high salary at Barcelona like ter Stegen.
His current contract was signed until 2023, which includes the salary he agreed to defer payment to help ease Barcelona’s financial pressure. He will receive a considerable portion of it in the next two seasons.
