Although Pau Cubarsi and Inigo Martinez have been the two regular starting center-backs for Hansi Flick this season, it is still clear that there is a surplus of center-backs in this FC Barcelona squad.
Currently, three of Blaugrana’s center-backs are out with injuries, Ronald Araujo, Andreas Christensen, and Eric Garcia, while Jules Kounde, who is also a natural center-back, has been playing as a right-back this season.
However, Cubarsi and Martinez’s performances have not really allowed Flick to miss these injured defenders, and this situation could have significant implications for the injured duo of Araujo and Christensen.
While Araujo might have to work to regain a starting spot after recovering from his injury, Barcelona still see him as a pillar of the team going forward, and his place in the squad is not under threat at the moment.
On the other hand, as SPORT has reported, this might not be the case for the Dane, as the Blaugranes have not started negotiations for his renewal, and are also willing to listen to offers for him, as long as all parties benefit from a departure.
Once recovered, Christensen would want to play as much as he can, but this is not something that Barcelona can guarantee him. Araujo and Cubarsi are the Catalan club’s preferred defenders going forward, while Inigo Martinez also enjoys Flick’s full trust. Thus, minutes will be hard to come by in the middle of the defense.
In the last season, Christensen had also played in the midfield as a pivot under Xavi. However, he is unlikely to get minutes in this position as well, as Marc Casado is performing at a very high level and Frenkie de Jong has also recovered.
For now, the Dane wants to remain in Barcelona, but things can change quickly if he does not get quality minutes in the coming months.
Luckily for the Blaugranes, his demand in the market remains high, as several Premier League sides have shown interest in him in the past, and he also enjoys interest from some Italian clubs at the moment. Let’s wait and see how his situation evolves in the coming months.
