Barcelona's January Defender Hunt Suffers Crushing Setback as Top Target Slips Away—Report
Barcelona have allegedly targeted Manchester City defender Nathan Ake for a potential transfer, though City's unwillingness to consider a loan arrangement for the Dutch international may present a major obstacle.
Originally, Barça weren't anticipated to make moves in the forthcoming transfer window, but Andreas Christensen's serious injury has weakened Hansi Flick's defensive options and compelled the club to re-enter the transfer market.
Considering Barcelona's challenging financial circumstances, the club seeks to bring in a center back through a temporary loan deal, with SPORT confirming reports regarding their interest in Ake.
Ake is believed to be willing to leave City in January, having secured only one Premier League starting appearance this campaign, but Pep Guardiola is reluctant to approve a temporary departure for a player considered crucial squad depth—creating frustration for Barcelona.
Barcelona could leverage Christensen's extended injury to deregister him and remove a substantial portion of his wages to bring in a replacement while remaining within La Liga's financial regulations. This explains why a loan arrangement is the favored approach.
Ake matches the defensive profile Barcelona seeks perfectly and would likely become the top choice to partner Pau Cubarsí in the center of defense.
Should City maintain their position, it's difficult to envision the transfer happening. Nevertheless, Barcelona remain patient, allowing the situation to evolve while continuing to examine other possibilities.
Barcelona Offered Out Of Favor Chelsea Center Back
Earlier this week, reports suggested that Barcelona were presented with Chelsea defender Axel Disasi as an option to strengthen their defensive line. The French player isn't included in Enzo Maresca's future plans and has spent the entire season featuring with Chelsea's U-21 squad.
The Blues are actively seeking to offload Disasi and Barcelona's requirement for a center back makes them an ideal candidate.
Nevertheless, Disasi can only depart Chelsea through a permanent sale since the club has already utilized all their allocated international loan positions. Unlike the Ake situation, where Barcelona might convince City to release him on loan, it's a permanent deal or nothing regarding Disasi, making this option even less feasible.
What's evident is Barcelona are exploring possibilities to strengthen their defensive core, and the initial weeks of January, when they'll seek to retain their Spanish Super Cup title, could determine how urgent their search for defensive reinforcements becomes.