Two players Barcelona wants to sign to improve their defence – report

Xavi’s request of acquiring a central defender in the January transfer window was categorically denied by the Barcelona board, and there is one logical explanation to it; lack of quality options.

Players such as Lisandro Martinez and Alex Grimaldo were touted to be the targets, but the respective clubs looked reluctant on losing their prized assets midway through the season. As such, the 42-year-old had to make peace with the fact that the club need to wait until the summer in order to get their hands on a quality defender.

In that regard, two players in Andreas Christensen and Cesar Azpilicueta have once again emerged as potential targets, according to Fichajes.

The Chelsea duo is failing to find a middle ground as contract talks with the Blues management continues to stall. For Christensen, it’s more or less about the salary, while with the versatile Azpilicueta, it’s all about the duration.

Chelsea find themselves in an absolute muddle at the moment, with none of their key defenders in Antonio Rudiger, Christensen and Azpilicueta willing to commit their future to the club. And Barcelona might as well reap the rewards if the situation isn’t resolved by the end of the season.

As things stand, both Christensen and Azpilicueta are free to sign a pre-contract agreement with a foreign club, but the situation has not reached that stage as of today. But what’s causing Chelsea problems can effectively put Barcelona in trouble, too given that the latter might fail to fulfil the Dane’s economic demands as well.

As for Azpilicueta, he’s been a victim of Chelsea’s contractual policy for the players above 30. The Blues have made it clear that they do not wish to hand players above 30 a lengthy contract, but Azpilicueta seems to have made up his mind on getting one. As a result, the extension talks continue to stretch.

It is believed that Azpilicueta is liked by Xavi, given the versatility he brings on the field. Apart from playing centrally, the veteran defender can also cover the full-back roles. His salary is much more affordable, as well, making him a perfect match for the culé sports management.

Chelsea are putting extensive work on getting their defenders to sign new extensions, but Barcelona’s interest might complicate things as we speak.