Barcelona given high chance of signing central defender

Barcelona have been struggling this season at the back, and while a replacement for the ageing Robert Lewandowski is seemingly the priority while Deco remains Director of Football, a central defender is their second priority. It is not yet clear how much they will have to spend in the summer, but they do have at least one affordable option that they have a good chance of signing.

Inigo Martinez, Barcelona’s only left-footed central defender, left in the summer, and Pau Cubarsi has been for the most part played alongside Eric Garcia. However with the team as a whole struggling, their partnership has not stood out as particularly successful either.

Barcelona the preferred option for Marcos Senesi

The Blaugrana have looked at the likes of Alessandro Bastoni of Inter, or Josko Gvardiol of Manchester City as ideal options, but a much cheaper option linked in January was Marcos Senesi. The Bournemouth defender is out of contract in the summer, and is set to leave the club on a free. TeamTalk say that Barcelona are a ‘huge lure’ for Senesi, and that it would be ‘tough to ignore’.

Barcelona have reportedly accelerated talks for Senesi, and are preparing an offer which his camp believe is the most intriguing so far.

Cubarsí: “At the beginning of the season I played more on the left, now more on the right. I feel comfortable on both sides, maybe on the right a little more because it allows me to filter passes that is one of the things I like the most, but on the left I also think I’m doing…

— barcacentre (@barcacentre) February 19, 2026

Plenty of other offers likely to arrive for Senesi

Given his low cost, it is no surprise that a number of clubs are interested in the Argentina international. Atletico Madrid have expressed an interest in him, while in Serie A, Napoli have done the same, and Juventus have been in talks with his agents over a deal.

On the other hand, his most lucrative offer may well come from the Premier League. Tottenham Hotspur, Everton, Aston Villa, Newcastle United, Sunderland and Chelsea have all expressed an interest, although the latter have not been in touch with his agents lately.

Senesi would certainly be a cut-price option that would fit the bill for Barcelona, who are in desperate need of defensive reinforcements. On the other hand, it seems likely they will wait until the summer to have a better idea of what resources they have to spend, and run the risk of Senesi taking his business elsewhere.