Barcelona have identified the signing of a left-footed central defender as one of their priorities for the coming summer and are closely following Aston Valley's Pau Torres. ESPN informs about this in a message sent to Vlasna Dzherela.

After the departure of Ina Martinez to Al-Nasr, head coach of the Catalans Hansi Flick lost an important figure in defense. Pau Kubarsi, Ronald Araujo, Erik Garcia and Andreas Christensen will be suspended, but the coach cannot find a stable pair of centerbacks for the season.

Due to personnel problems, Flick directed the left-wing defender Gerard Martin in the center of defense to save the left nose from leaving the ball.. In fact, Barcelona is looking for a long-term partner for Kubarsi, who is the team’s most favored central defender this season.

According to Gerela, the 28-river Pau Torres has long been on the radar of the Catalan club for his ball game and on another level. Barcelona considered his transfer even before playing for Villarreal, but in 2023 the Spaniards transferred to Aston Valley for approximately 40 million euros.

The contract of the Spanish defender with the English club is valid until 2028, but is still waiting to be confirmed, so that he is ready to listen to the proposal before turning to Spain.

At the same time, Pau Torres is not the only candidate. Barcelona also has a positive assessment of Borussia Dortmund's central manager Nico Schlotterbeck, who is still on track to play for Freiburg. The contract of the 26-year-old German runs until 2027, and in case of non-extension it may become available at a reduced price.

Whether the transfer funds of the Catalans directly lie in the financial capabilities of the club and the extension of the financial fair play rules of La Liga. Potential exits from high salaries, including Andreas Christensen and Robert Lewandowski, whose contracts end at the end of the season, could open up space for Barcelona to strengthen their defense.