Barcelona has begun searching for a new center-back in the upcoming winter transfer window, amid expectations that Ronald Araujo will not return to the Catalan club’s lineup soon due to his psychological struggles following the events of the Chelsea match.
According to the newspaper “Sport,” Araujo is a regular visitor to Barcelona’s training ground, but he remains far from playing matches. Joan Laporta’s administration has no intention of pressuring him to return quickly and prefers to wait until he fully recovers his mental well-being.
Meanwhile, Jules Koundé has taken advantage of the current situation at Barcelona to approach coach Hansi Flick and ask to return to his original position at center-back after two years spent playing at right-back.
While the Frenchman has performed well at right-back, he still prefers playing at center-back, his original position since the beginning of his career. Therefore, he presented the matter to Flick, who, in turn, did not rule out the possibility.
The main obstacle to moving Koundé back to center-back is the void the Frenchman would leave on the right flank, given that Barcelona’s squad lacks any other reliable option in that position, with the exception of Eric Garcia, who has recently been deployed in midfield.
Barcelona’s management is inclined to sign a new center-back in January, postponing the idea of acquiring a right-back until next summer. Therefore, Koundé’s chances of returning to his original position are currently slim, unless Flick is forced to do so due to injuries and absences.
