Barcelona are looking to sell three defenders in the summer – report

According to SPORT, FC Barcelona want to make heavy strides in the summer market and will look to sign three to four defenders.

This list will include reinforcements for each position in the backline. The names being floated at the moment are Sevilla’s Jules Kounde, Chelsea’s Andreas Christensen and Cesar Azpilicueta, and Valencia’s Jose Gaya.

Matthijs De Ligt’s name is on the table, too, but the signing seems complicated at the moment due to high salary demands.

From the shortlisted players, the Chelsea duo could be obtained on a free transfer. The links to veteran defender Azpilicueta have been strong for a while, and some details of the contract may have already been worked out with the 32-year-old.

Christensen might leave Chelsea after ten years at the club, as well, due to salary demands, for the club cannot afford to raise their wage bill.

Jules Kounde has been on Barcelona’s radar for a while, but a transfer seems unlikely. Sevilla expect him to leave only if his release clause is triggered, and at €80m, it is improbable that Barcelona will be able to carry out the operation.

Jose Gaya’s contract is set to expire in 2023, but he is currently in the middle of negotiations for a renewal.

In order to make space for these new players, Barcelona are looking to offload Oscar Mingueza, Samuel Umtiti, and Clement Lenglet, as per SPORT. These three defenders have fallen down the pecking order this season, with Ronald Araujo finally finding his footing. Eric Garcia, too, has improved drastically from when the season started.

If Barcelona are able to pull off either of the Chelsea deals, it would be an excellent investment. The need for defensive reinforcement has been clear for a while now, and these options present a great opportunity.