Injuries have been a constant source of headache for FC Barcelona this season. In addition to the several discomforts and medium-term problems suffered by some of the club’s players, at least two players are set to miss the rest of the season, i.e., Gavi and Alejandro Balde.
With Gavi’s injury, Barcelona decided to use his salary to bring in Vitor Roque this month. However, the club is also looking for a midfielder at this point in time, while the Catalans also evaluated the possibility of signing a left-back to replace Alejandro Balde and Marcos Alonso, who are both currently injured.
According to SPORT, there were three players in the Barcelona shortlist for this position. The Catalans made inquiries about these players for a January move, but all three of them were ruled out.
The first one of these options was Nico Tagliafico, who has already been linked with a move to the Catalan club in the past. He was close to joining the Blaugranes in January 2022, but Ajax ruled out a move as they wanted a full transfer for €4-5 million, but Barcelona were looking for a loan with the option to purchase.
Now a world champion, Tagliafico is still performing at a very high level at Olympique Lyonnais in France, despite the club itself now being not at its best and fighting with relegation as things stand.
The second option was Pervis Estupinan, who is currently a part of the Brighton and Hove Albion squad. The Ecuadorian is currently recovering from a lengthy spell on the sidelines with an injury and is currently in his second year in the Premier League after having joined from Villarreal.
The last option for the Blaugranes was Jonny Otto, the Spanish fullback currently playing in Greece with PAOK. He joined the Greek side from the English club Wolverhampton Wanderers and was the third option for Barcelona to replace Alejandro Balde.