Barça Bassline of Rumors: Mourinho Breaks Silence on Otamendi’s Possible Barca Move

Barça’s winter mercato stance on Otamendi rumors

Portuguese coach Jose Mourinho, Benfica's boss, broke his silence to settle the chatter about Nicolás Otamendi's potential move to Barcelona in the upcoming winter window.

In a press conference, he said he was not worried by reports linking the Argentina international to the Catalan club. "I am not afraid at all. Neither the club president nor management has told me anything about Otamendi's departure, so there is nothing to fear," he stated.

According to the Spanish outlet Sport, Barcelona showed no interest, with no talks, offers, or intent to pursue a deal.

Benfica sources emphasized Otamendi's future remained calm, his contract running to the end of the season, and the club not considering his exit.

Barça now faces a defensive crisis after Andreas Christensen suffered a serious injury likely to sideline him for about four months, while Ronald Araújo has been out since late November for health reasons, narrowing options.

Since the London defeat to Chelsea—the last match Araújo played before the pause—the coach has relied on internal solutions. In seven recent league and Champions League fixtures, the central pair has been formed by two internal players.

One of them has shown reliability and consistency, but the club knows the campaign is long and that the margin for error in defense must be zero.

Based on current data, Barcelona continues to weigh available scenarios without rushing into moves that do not meet sporting or financial criteria.

The priority remains avoiding short-term fixes, especially in a market governed by fair play rules and salary caps that limit new additions.

In short, Barça aims to protect its long-term plans while keeping any new players within a sensible budget.

Punchline time: If transfer rumors burned as fast as a Twitter thread, Otamendi would already be lifting a trophy. And if Barça's defense were a dating profile, it would read: 'single, but ready to sign.'