It will be a busy end to the summer transfer window for Barcelona, especially when it comes to signing new players. A striker will arrive as a replacement for the already-departed Robert Lewandowski, and despite already bringing in Anthony Gordon, Karim Adeyemi, Rodri and Joao Cancelo, it cannot be ruled out that further reinforcements arrive before the deadline.
After Ronald Araujo joined Liverpool earlier this month on a season-long loan, Barcelona had the door opened on a move for a new central defender. Hansi Flick is keen to add another option to his back-line, although it had not been possible until the Uruguayan left for Merseyside – but even then, there’s no guarantee that someone will be sought.
Barcelona want to spend big on a striker, and if this happens, [Sport](https://www.sport.es/es/noticias/barca/fichaje-central-descartado-133533056) say that any new centre-back signing would be a low-cost operation. However, the club does not rule out going for a big name if they are ultimately unsuccessful in their efforts to land a number nine, as the money would be there to be spent by sporting director Deco.
Given that Flick has Pau Cubarsi, Andreas Christensen, Jules Kounde and Eric Garcia as right-sided central defender options, Barcelona would prioritise the addition of a left-sided player to compete with Gerard Martin. As things stand, their favoured target is still Aymeric Laporte, although a deal would be very tricky due to [Athletic Club making it clear that they will not listen to offers](https://barcanewsnetwork.com/barcelona-face-fresh-obstacle-in-pursuit-of-spanish-world-cup-champion/) for the 2026 World Cup hero.
Alternative targets include Castello Lukeba, who would be much more attainable for Barcelona. At this stage, the option of signing a new central defender is open, although it is still behind a striker in the list of priorities, although that could change depending on developments over the next 7-10 days.