The Barcelona looks for options in the market to reinforce the midfield and full-backs.
BARCELONA -- Barcelona is scouring the market in search of a defensive midfielder and two full-backs for the next season, according to different sources confirmed to ESPN.
Xavi Hernández wants to have every position in the squad doubled and believes he needs another pivot to compete with Oriol Romeu for the starting position, as well as two defenders to improve the performances of Sergi Roberto and Marcos Alonso on the flanks.
Oriol, 32, arrived at Barça during the last summer transfer window as a low-cost option due to the economic difficulties of the Catalan club, but the sporting management believes they need another alternative with a bigger name to cover the gap left by Sergio Busquets' departure to Inter Miami CF.
Barça evaluates different options, but given its weakened financial situation, it is particularly attentive to free agents and players with expiring contracts in order to try to hire their services in advantageous situations.
In this regard, the sources assure ESPN that last summer Joshua Kimmich was offered to Barcelona through a family member, and the club continues to closely monitor his situation because they believe that Bayern Munich could be open to negotiations since the 28-year-old midfielder's contract ends in 2025.
Kimmich is liked by both Xavi and the sporting management while other options of players whose contracts are expiring, such as Jorginho from Arsenal, Thiago Alcantara from Liverpool, or Guido Rodríguez from Real Betis, are also being considered.
The situation with the full-backs is different. Xavi is delighted with João Cancelo's performance on the right flank and has also found an undisputed starter on the left in the young Alejandro Balde. However, Cancelo's future is still uncertain because he arrived on loan without a buy option and Barça will have to negotiate with Manchester City again next summer if they want to permanently acquire his services.
Regardless of what happens with Cancelo, Barcelona is working on the search for full-backs for each flank because Sergi Roberto and Marcos Alonso's contracts end in June and they could already be playing their last season as blaugranas.
On the right side, Xavi has Juan Foyth in his sights. Barça's sporting management wants to rejuvenate the squad and believe that the Villarreal player would provide an extra defensive boost compared to Cancelo, as he is a center-back converted to a full-back.
In fact, as ESPN reported during the summer, the 25-year-old Argentine international was already on Barça's agenda last summer, and his signing was only discarded because Villarreal demanded the €54.6 million from his release clause to let him leave.
Juan Foyth has a contract until June 30, 2026, but the Catalan club believes that Villarreal will be less demanding in negotiating his departure than in the past summer when they had already lost important players such as Giovani Lo Celso, Pau Torres, Nicolas Jackson, or Samu Chukwueze.
The defensive pivot and the two full-backs appear as Barcelona's priorities for the next transfer market, but the sources indicate to ESPN that they will be open to reinforcing other positions if market opportunities arise.
Furthermore, it should be noted that Xavi also requested a striker to compete with Robert Lewandowski in the summer, and Barça fulfilled his wishes by paying €30 million plus €31 million in variables to Athletico Paranaense for the young Brazilian Vitor Roque.
The 18-year-old forward, who is currently injured, is all set to join Barça, but the club needs to make room in its salary limit to determine if they can incorporate him in the winter transfer market or if they will have to wait until summer.