Barcelona looking at central defenders for 2026 – five names mentioned

Barcelona ended up not signing Jonathan Tah this summer, despite reportedly agreeing a deal with the German defender, as a result of Ronald Araujo remanining at the club. However nobody was banking on the exit of Inigo Martinez, which has cast further uncertainty over the position.

It appears Barcelona do not have full faith in Araujo as the long-term partner next to Pau Cubarsi just yet, with the Uruguayan two years removed from his last run of consistent form. Andreas Christensen is out of contract next summer, and Jules Kounde and Eric Garcia have both played their best football at right-back of late. As per MD, although the money is not there to commit to a signing, Barcelona do have an eye on several options in case they can and feel the need to next summer.

In recent months, Barcelona have been linked to Palmeiras prospect Luiz Benedetti, with the Brazilian defender tipped to make the jump to Europe shortly. Arsenal and Napoli are both interested in the 19-year-old though, and could provide competition. Another option that perhaps wouldn’t command a huge few is Paris Saint-Germain’s Lucas Beraldo. Another talented young Brazilian, the presence of Willian Pacho and Marquinhos has left Beraldo short of opportunities.

The name that may well be circled in red is Crystal Palace’s Marc Guehi. Real Madrid are watching him, and Liverpool have already attempted to sign him, but given the England international is a free agent next summer, he represents a Tah-like opportunity for the Blaugrana.

Another frequently mentioned central defender in conjunction with Barcelona is Nottingham Forest’s Murillo. The 23-year-old is now part of the Brazil setup himself, and has attracted plenty of admiring glances from major clubs, but Forest will have little motivation to sell on the cheap.

Equally, Sporting CP defender Goncalo Inacio is another name on the radar of Director of Football Deco. He recently met with Inacio’s agent, and has a contract until 2027, meaning the Portuguese giants could be looking to sell next summer.