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It’s looking like Barcelona will have a quiet January on the transfer front, but that doesn’t mean there isn’t already a lot to talk about.
By the end of this season, it’s highly likely they will need to invest in a new No 9, as well as strengthen significantly at centre-back — and possibly buy another striker. They still find themselves in a tricky position regarding La Liga’s spending rules. Senior players are entering the final six months of their contracts.
Here, The Athletic’s Barcelona correspondent Pol Ballus explains what to know about the winter transfer window coming up — and what to look out for beyond it, next summer.
The information in this article has been gathered according to The Athletic’s sourcing guidelines. Sources with knowledge of transfer dealings, who asked to be kept anonymous to protect relationships, have been spoken to before offering the clubs involved the opportunity to comment.
Who will make key decisions over the two windows?
The biggest decision-makers will be sporting director Deco and president Joan Laporta, as they have already been for the past couple of seasons at the club.
However, it looks unlikely that a big move — or indeed any move — is being planned for next month.
“If we are fine and there is no big surprise, I don’t think we’ll need any signing in January,” said Deco last month in an interview with local radio station Catalunya Radio.
“We know where we can improve, and also the difficulties we have. But last season we had some tough moments too and we were able to navigate them.”
Taking that into account, and looking at the season so far, we might have a quiet transfer window at the club for once.
What positions will Barca be looking at in 2026?
The fact the January window looks set to be quiet does not mean Barca are not ready to do business next year — because they really need to. There are several positions the club will need to bolster, most likely in the summer.
The most urgent one will be the No 9 spot. Robert Lewandowski’s contract runs out in June, and Barca sources say the most likely scenario is the 37-year-old not signing an extension.
Then, if Marcus Rashford ends up leaving after his loan, which is the most probable scenario, Barca could be after a replacement for him, too.
They will also take a look at the centre-backs available. Barca’s defensive performances this season, as well as their radical high line, have been put in the spotlight on multiple occasions.
Marcus Rashford has impressed at Barca, but is not a guaranteed starter (Mike Hewitt/Getty Images)
Last summer, Hansi Flick lost his most-trusted defender, Inigo Martinez, who was allowed to leave on a free transfer to join Saudi Arabian club Al Nassr, just as Barca were about to start the new season. No replacement came in, and that is seen inside the club as a reason behind the drop in defensive performances this term.
Andreas Christensen will reach the end of his contract next summer too — and there has been no sign of a potential extension. The Denmark international, 29, has struggled to find consistency, having spent long spells of the past two seasons injured. Christensen is on a significant wage, figures that Barca could not afford to renew for a rotation player in their squad.
If he leaves, there might be a case to make that Barca won’t only need one centre-back, but maybe two. We will see.
Are they looking at any players already?
This is all with next summer in mind, rather than January, but the standout candidate as Barcelona’s next striker is Julian Alvarez. They see it as being a very difficult deal to pull off but Alvarez is Laporta’s dream signing for the position.
Alvarez is considered a perfect fit for Flick’s high-pressing system, but the 25-year-old has a contract until 2030 with Atletico Madrid, who have no intention of selling their best player. Given Barca’s financial situation, it is not easy to see how they can afford the Argentina forward.
There have also been reports in local media about Harry Kane. Barca sources told The Athletic there has been no move made by them, and insist it is too early to be speaking about a deal for the 32-year-old, given there will be presidential elections at the club before next summer.
For the centre-back role, no strong candidates have emerged yet. Barcelona’s sporting direction would ideally look for a left-footed player in order to give Flick different profiles to choose from. They had been monitoring Sporting CP’s Portugal international Goncalo Inacio, who will be entering the last 18 months of his deal with the club next year. But again, no significant move has been made for the 24-year-old.
Who will they be looking to sell?
The situation will be assessed closer to the summer, but there are some potential departures.
One of them is Ronald Araujo. The Uruguay centre-back signed a long-term deal with the club in January 2025, but has failed to impress. Once tipped as the backbone of Barca’s future, Araujo, 26, has been heavily criticised in the club for bad performances on big European nights.
Barca’s last two eliminations from the Champions League, against Paris Saint-Germain in the quarter-finals of 2023-24 and Inter Milan at the semi-final stage last season, put Araujo in the spotlight. Last week’s 3-0 defeat at Chelsea did not help his case, as he got sent off just before half-time. Let’s see if Araujo is willing to go, though, and which clubs could really afford his signing and wages.
Araujo was sent off at Chelsea last week (Robin Jones/Getty Images)
Another name is Marc Casado. He broke through to the first team last season in spectacular form, shining as Barca’s holding midfielder in big games such as the 4-1 win against Bayern Munich, or the 4-0 victory against Real Madrid at the Santiago Bernabeu. However, the 22-year-old seems to have lost a big share of the trust Flick had in him.
Frenkie de Jong is the number one choice in the position, but even Eric Garcia has played ahead of Casado in key games so far this season. In the long term, Barca see 18-year-old La Masia graduate Marc Bernal as a better talent for the role.
What moves have they made already?
In terms of signings, not many. But they have secured a key piece in Flick’s plan for the foreseeable future with De Jong signing a contract extension.
The Netherlands international agreed a new three-year deal up until 2029, but most importantly, it put an end to all the uncertainty around his place in the team.
De Jong, 28, has always been a player under the spotlight at Barcelona, but after Flick gave him the keys to midfield, alongside Pedri, he seems to have found his place at the club.
Which players’ contracts are expiring? Who will they renew?
The most likely scenario is that Lewandowski will not extend his stay at the club.
Christensen’s is a very unclear case. He has said he only wants to stay at Barcelona and is not thinking about other offers, but the Catalans are yet to suggest negotiations on a new deal. If they really wanted him to stay, his future would have been sorted by now.
Finally, there is Eric Garcia. The 24-year-old has been Barcelona’s best defender this term — and the club will reward him with a contract extension, which he is set to sign. It should be announced before the end of the year.
What is their salary limit position? What sort of budget do they have?
In the last numbers released by La Liga, Barcelona’s expenditure on salaries is still above the limit they have been set.
This figure was revealed in September, at €351million (£308m; $408m). Last season, they spent €534million on wages, according to the budget published by the club. They will need to offload salaries before being allowed to register new ones.
This is a key reason they can’t sign new players in January — they’d have a tough job registering them.
What will be the manager’s priority?
A new central striker is key, but a new central defender will certainly be high up on Flick’s wishlist for 2026-27.
Martinez’s departure was a tough blow, and Barca conceding 10 goals in their five Champions League matches this season shows how much the team need to improve.
Martinez was also a role model figure for some of the younger members of the squad — including Pau Cubarsi. The 18-year-old’s performances have dipped a bit this season. Finding a suitable fit that allows Cubarsi to play in his best position, as a right-sided centre-back, would help in many ways.