Barcelona Considers Late Centre-Back Move as Araujo Exits

Barcelona’s transfer window was supposed to be about goals, flair and firepower. Now, with three weeks left and Ronald Araujo edging towards the exit, the conversation has swung back to something far more basic: who is going to anchor Hansi Flick’s defence?

Sporting director Deco has not closed the door. Far from it. Inside the club, there is a clear message: if the right centre-back appears on the market, Barcelona are ready to move.

Araujo’s shadow over Flick’s plans

For most of the summer, the recruitment focus tilted towards the attack and, earlier on, towards a left-footed defender. That plan has been ripped up by circumstance.

Araujo’s imminent departure changes everything. His exit would not only strip Flick of his most dominant defender, it would also open up a sizeable chunk of salary space. In a squad still squeezed by financial constraints, that matters as much as any tactical board.

Once the Uruguayan’s move is officially sealed, Barcelona’s defensive picture will look very different. On paper, Flick would be left with Pau Cubarsi, Gerard Martin, Andreas Christensen and Eric Garcia as his primary centre-backs, with Jules Kounde able to step inside from full-back when needed.

It sounds like enough. It doesn’t feel like enough.

Flick views Eric Garcia as more than just a central option; he sees him as valuable cover at full-back, particularly on Kounde’s side. That dual role immediately eats into the depth at the heart of the defence and raises the risk if injuries or suspensions hit at the wrong time.

La Masia or the market?

Inside the club, one name has moved sharply up the internal depth chart: Alvaro Cortes.

The La Masia defender has caught the eye of the coaching staff with his progress and maturity. Barcelona are genuinely pleased with his development, and promoting him to a bigger role is a live option if the club decide not to invest in another defender.

It would be a very Barcelona solution: trust the academy, protect the wage bill, back potential over price.

Flick, though, would rather not rely solely on promise. The German coach would prefer to have a more experienced centre-back to lean on across a long, demanding season. That preference shapes the club’s stance: they will not sign a defender just to make up the numbers, but they will act if a player arrives who can immediately challenge for a starting place.

The criteria are blunt. The finances must work. And the defender must be good enough to walk into the team, not simply sit on the bench.

Romero and Laporte on the radar

In that context, two familiar names remain on Barcelona’s list: Cristian Romero and Aymeric Laporte.

Romero, the rugged Argentine at Tottenham, continues to be linked with a move away from north London. His profile fits the need: aggressive, experienced, comfortable in big games. The problem lies elsewhere.

Barcelona are not alone. Arsenal and Inter Milan are also interested, and talks with Atletico Madrid have already moved forward. Any attempt from the Catalans would have to navigate heavy competition and their own financial limits. This is not a straightforward chase.

Laporte presents a different kind of puzzle. The Spain international, now back in the spotlight after his time away from La Liga, has been mentioned repeatedly around Barcelona’s corridors.

His camp has suggested that his release clause is relatively low, an opening that would immediately tempt a club in Barcelona’s position. Athletic Bilbao, though, have pushed back against that idea, disputing the figures being floated.

That disagreement leaves a fog over the deal. Before making any move, Barcelona would have to pin down the exact financial conditions and decide whether Laporte is truly a realistic opportunity or just a mirage in a complicated market.

A delicate three-week sprint

So the situation is clear and tense all at once. Araujo is on his way out, salary space is about to open, and Flick wants a battle-hardened centre-back. At the same time, La Masia is offering an internal answer in Alvaro Cortes, and the club’s accountants are keeping a tight grip on every euro.

Barcelona will not panic. But they cannot drift either.

Over the next three weeks, one decision will shape the spine of Flick’s first season: do they trust the kids, or find the kind of defender who can make everyone at Montjuïc breathe a little easier when the pressure hits?