Despite the high-profile arrivals of goalkeeper Joan Garcia and forward Marcus Rashford, Barcelona appear to have overlooked a key area during this transfer window.
Fresh from completing a domestic treble of La Liga, Copa del Rey and Spanish Super Cup, the Catalan giants can rely on a strong squad that proved its worth last season, powered by the magic of the Yamal-Lewandowski-Raphinha trio. However, their elimination to Inter Milan in the Champions League semi-finals (3-3, 3-4 after extra time) exposed a major flaw: Barcelona do not possess a defence to match their attacking talent. Far from it.
Barcelona's Marcus Rashford on July 27, 2025
Barca's defence not up to standard in 2024-25
“Playing at home, we felt that we could have achieved a much better result. Once again, we conceded far too many goals at home. It is unacceptable to allow so many here,” winger Raphinha — one of the favourites for the Ballon d’Or — told Canal+ after the first leg.
While Barca finished as the top scorers in last season’s Champions League with 43 goals, they also ended up with the seventh-worst defensive record, conceding 24 goals in 14 matches, the poorest tally among the semi-finalists.
Following their European disappointment, a 4-3 win over Real Madrid and a 3-2 defeat to Villarreal in La Liga again highlighted their defensive shortcomings. Despite being crowned Spanish champions, Barca only had the fourth-best defence in the league, letting in 39 goals over 38 games.
Barcelona's Ronald Araujo with Pau Cubarsi on January 29, 2025
No major defensive rebuild
Given this context, many believed that Barcelona’s summer 2025 transfer activity would focus heavily on the backline, with expectations of a complete overhaul. The plan included finding cover for Jules Kounde and Alejandro Balde in the full-back positions, as well as signing a new first-choice centre-back.
At one point, it seemed certain that Jonathan Tah would arrive on a free transfer from Bayer Leverkusen. The 29-year-old Germany international appeared bound for Camp Nou, but despite pressure from the player, the club failed to close the deal. Tah ultimately joined Bayern Munich instead.
Bayer Leverkusen's Jonathan Tah pictured on December 3, 2024
An even weaker defence?
Other than in goal — where Joan Garcia arrived from Espanyol for €25m (£21.1m) and Wojciech Szczesny extended his stay despite Marc-Andre ter Stegen returning to the injury list — no defensive reinforcements have been made.
In fact, Barca’s backline appears weaker after the surprise departure of Inigo Martinez, who was released from the final year of his contract to join Al-Nassr in Saudi Arabia. The Spain international had been expected to start the season alongside Pau Cubarsi. However, saving his €14m (£11.8m) annual salary, which allowed the club to register their new signings, was considered a higher priority. The club are reportedly not planning to replace Martinez unless an unexpected opportunity arises.
Barcelona's Inigo Martinez on December 11, 2024
What will Barca’s defence look like in 2025-26?
The current central defensive options are Cubarsi, Ronald Araujo, Andreas Christensen, Eric Garcia and Gerard Martin.
Cubarsi is set to start as an undisputed first-choice. Despite a mixed return from injury, Araujo — who was once linked with a move away — should partner him. Kounde and Balde remain the clear starters at full-back.
Eric Garcia has recently been used primarily as a right-back deputy to Kounde, but could move back into a central role. The same applies to left-back Gerard Martin, with head coach Hansi Flick increasingly inclined to use him in the middle following Martinez’s exit.
On paper, Barca have five centre-back options, but with Garcia and Martin potentially rotating between roles, they may start the season with only seven defenders for four positions. Hector Fort remains available at right-back, but could leave on loan, with Paris FC among those interested. Any injury could leave Flick with very limited choices.
This approach carries clear risks. Last season, Araujo missed 31 matches through injury, Christensen 43, Garcia eight, Kounde seven, and Balde 31 over the past two campaigns.
Beyond the injury concerns, the anticipated boost in defensive quality has yet to arrive. Barca still have three weeks left in the transfer window to adjust their plans and make the necessary additions at the back — something that seems essential. While some nostalgically recall that the Kounde-Araujo-Christensen-Balde backline conceded just seven goals in the first 22 La Liga matches of 2022-23, three years have passed since then.
A reminder that Barcelona only conceded 7 goals in the first 22 matches of the 2022/2023 league season with this backline: pic.twitter.com/yJj5GQNm8U
— Barça Universal (@BarcaUniversal) August 9, 2025
This article was originally published on Top Mercato.
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