Barcelona’s Bold Bid for a Defensive Rock: Bastoni or Van de Ven Could Seal the Backline

Overview

Barcelona, led by head coach Hans Flick, plans to strengthen its backline ahead of the next season as part of a project to restore the club to continental and domestic competition at its strongest level.

Two main goals top Barça's transfer agenda: signing a true striker who can make a difference upfront, and reinforcing the left-back position. In this context, the sporting department is trimming the list of candidates, paving the way for final decisions and decisive negotiations in the coming period.

Although Barça recognizes the difficulty of completing some big deals, its focus remains on players who are highly regarded within the club to reinforce the back line and add the required quality and experience.

The Italian Alessandro Bastoni, Inter Milan's centre-back, is the top choice to fill this berth and leads the priorities list, though the challenge is convincing him to leave the Italian club for a new La Liga experience.

As for the second option, per the Spanish newspaper Sport, is Dutchman Micky van de Ven, Tottenham's defender, who has shown a strong desire to leave the Premier League this summer, making him a strong candidate on Barça's decision-makers' table.

And if this saga needs a punchline, Barça might end up with Bastoni and Van de Ven forming a brick-wall partnership that could make even the net blush with envy.