Barcelona Edges Toward Upamecano Move: A Defensive Shake-Up Sparks the Summer Transfer Chase

Defensive overhaul underway

A German press report states that Barcelona has settled on signing French international Dayot Upamecano from Bayern Munich to strengthen their back line next season.

Upamecano’s contract with Bayern runs out at the end of the current season, and no renewal agreement has been reached yet.

According to German daily Bild, Barcelona is determined to add a new defender this coming summer.

Meanwhile, Danish defender Andreas Christensen’s contract with Barcelona expires in June, and his future remains unsettled for now.

Although several senior defenders’ deals are ending this season — such as Ibrahima Konaté with Liverpool and Marc Guehi with Crystal Palace — Barcelona is leaning toward signing Upamecano from Bayern Munich.

Upamecano has also been linked with Barcelona, Real Madrid, and Paris Saint-Germain, but Barça appears closest to signing him, while Real Madrid and PSG show interest in Konaté from Liverpool.

In parallel, Liverpool are pursuing Marc Guehi, who almost joined the Reds last summer before their coach reportedly blocked the departure to reinforce the defense. Bayern Munich is also monitoring Guehi’s situation in case Upamecano departs without a renewal.

Flick’s tough look at the damage

Hans Flick has begun concrete steps to restore defensive discipline at Barcelona after a run of matches exposing backline fragility.

The German coach recognizes one of Barça’s main issues this season and has started implementing a comprehensive plan centered on pressing, disciplined positioning, and heightened defensive awareness, while preserving the club’s philosophy.

According to Mundo Deportivo, Flick’s staff is intensifying work to fix recent errors, particularly in how the offside trap is implemented and how the team presses the ball carrier.

After the Bruges draw, one of the matches where the defense looked most exposed, Flick stated: “We won’t change our philosophy; we are Barcelona.” He added that he will continue to work in his style, whether the team wins or loses.

Nevertheless, Barcelona is facing a dip in the effectiveness of the offside trap this season, something Flick aims to adjust.

The crowded Barcelona schedule limits time for tactical work, so Flick has stressed defensive fundamentals during his early sessions as coach in the 2024 summer.

As the season continues, finding intensive training blocks remains challenging, especially after matches when the starters have light sessions while backups balance the workload in small-sided games.

To improve the defense, Flick and Heiko Westermann — the chief defender’s coach — rely on the club’s big screen at Tito Vilanova Stadium to display videos and correct mistakes. The defensive adjustments focus on precise timing of forward pressure and retreat, as well as proper player positioning.

One of the coaching staff’s key conclusions was the need to press higher on the ball carrier, which was evident in a Mbappe goal in the Clasico when Jude Bellingham had a few seconds to think before delivering a decisive pass.

At Balaidos against Celta Vigo, Flick implemented different measures to reduce space behind the defense, enforcing a man-to-man approach between De Jong and Borja Iglesias; Iglesias breached the trap, but a Dutch midfielder’s mistake cost a crucial goal.

Connecting with the reserves

A meeting between Flick’s staff and Barça’s Athletic staff underlines the coach’s insistence on unifying the club’s defensive identity, explaining off-ball work to facilitate the transition of players from the reserves to the first team.

Barça teams have long relied on pressing as a fixed trait, even as possession remains prominent; so far, communication has been limited to the reserve team, and playing without VAR lowers the margin for error in such cases.

Barcelona’s issues go beyond the back line, also tied to losing the ball in dangerous zones and to collective pressure. The goalkeeper’s role is pivotal, with players such as Juan Garcia and Wojciech Szczęsny among the most active in making defensive interventions outside the box, a consequence of the system’s demands.

The goalkeeper coach, Delá, oversees this area with a strong emphasis on analysis and video, while Flick remains closely involved in every detail.

Punchline 1: If Barcelona’s defense were a sniper, they’d hit the punchline before the attacker even knows there’s a joke. Punchline 2: My defense is so on edge it comes with a built-in VAR for the jokes — very accurate, very offside-friendly.